The Centre for Sustainable Rural Development (CESRUD), a humanitarian community based organisation has organised a reading competition for selected basic schools in the Bolgatanga Municipality in a bid to promote the habit of reading among children.

It was organised with support from the Friends of African Village Libraries (FAVL), an American based charity organisation and five selected Junior High Schools from the Bolgatanga North and West ‘B’ Circuits that took part in the competition.

CESRUD in collaboration with FAVL have over years worked to improve quality of education in the Upper East Region leading to the establishment of three community libraries stocked with current and relevant books at Sumbrungu and Sherigu in the Bolgatanga Municipal and Gowrie-Kunkua in the Bongo District.

Speaking at the event at Sumbrungu, Mr Paul Ayutoliya, the Coordinator of the Libraries, said encouraging children to develop the habit of reading was the best way to empower them with the needed information and knowledge that would assist them to succeed especially in their academic work.

The Coordinator said the mission of CESRUD and FAVL was to instill in children the habit of reading through the provision of books to make books readily available and accessible to all children particularly the vulnerable.

He said, “CESRUD and FAVL over the years organised numerous reading programmes in all the three community libraries with a view to promoting a culture of reading among children especially students and pupils and I can say these respective community libraries since their establishment have improved the quality of education and literacy in the lives of many.”

Mr Ayutoliya disclosed that through further collaboration with Biblionef Ghana, CESRUD was able to create mini libraries stocked with reading materials in 20 basic schools in the two circuits.
“These schools now have mini school libraries with books of over 400 each, available to pupils and students who are far from the community”.

Mr Leslie Kasanga, the Upper East Regional Librarian encouraged the children to consider reading as a hobby and read always in order to broaden their knowledge and scope of learning.
The Regional Librarian said 2019 was declared the ‘Year of Reading’ by the Ghana Library Authority and asked parents to invest in the future of their children by buying books for them and encouraging them to read.

At the end of the contest, St Charles Luwanga JHS emerged winner with 570 points, while Sumbrungu-Kolgo JHS and Bolgatanga Nyariga JHS, placed second and third with 507 and 501 points respectively.

The participating schools were given exercise books, pencils and pens.