The ability to express ourselves and trade our thoughts and ideas with those who matter, and to influence those in our circle, can primarily be achieved when we develop a reading culture. When reading becomes a habit at a young age, there’s no telling the value of our freighted train of thoughts.
It is on the strength of this that Readers and Leaders – a non-profit organisation set up to nurture reading and develop leadership in children – reached out to kids at the St. Bernadette Soubirous school in Dansoman, as part of their mentorship outreaches to basic schools.
The goal of this session is to revive the culture of reading, particularly because of the dwindling desire to commit to hard-core reading of books; and with social media platforms replacing the traditional long hours of reading relevant content from books.
During the mentorship session, Mrs. Ernestina Anna Britwum, Headmistress of St. Bernadette school, highlighted the importance of reading at a young age. She said: “Reading broadens your knowledge, imagination, your ability to recall information, and improves your writing skill”.
Also present at the session was the Municipal Guidance and Counselling Coordinator for GES, Ablekuma West, Ms. Mercy Onwona. She made mention of children being in school to read and write as the fundamental aim of schooling. “Read every day before you sleep. Get a book and a dictionary under your pillow, and before you sleep read at least one page,” she encouraged the children.
Director of Readers and Leaders, William Burckson, underscored the need for students to fall in love with the art of reading, so as to better express themselves and their ideas to the world. This, he said, is key to maximising potential.
The programme ended on a good note, with performances from pupils of the school and a Q&A session with facilitators.
The team at Readers and Leaders are poised to reach more schools in order to make reading a norm again in society – to the end that children become transformed through reading and emerge as global leaders.
