The Rotary Club of Tarkwa joined the global community to mark International Literacy Day (ILD) in the Tarkwa Municipality of the Western Region.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) set aside September 8 each year as ILD to remind the public of the importance of literacy as a matter of dignity and human rights, and to advance the literacy agenda toward a more literate and sustainable society.
To mark the day, the Rotary Club of Tarkwa donated textbooks and stationery worth about GH₵20,000 to Kuranti MA Basic School in the Prestea Huni Valley District of the Western Region.
Speaking at an event to hand over the donation to the pupils, the president of the Rotary Club of Tarkwa, RP Abdel Razak Yakubu, disclosed that the club has been donating textbooks and stationery to basic schools in its catchment for the past few years under a programme dubbed the Rotary Rural Education Drive (RoRED).
This year’s edition of RoRED was planned to coincide with the celebration of International Literacy Day to focus attention on the opportunities available to a literate society.
The occasion was also used to counsel the beneficiary students on future career opportunities.
Rotarian Caroline Effah Otoo, who is also the immediate past Municipal Director of Health Services in the Tarkwa Nsuaem Municipality, advised the students to be disciplined.
She stressed the need for the students to be serious with their academic work and not feel intimidated by their peers from the big cities.
Other Rotarians took turns giving career advice to the school kids, aimed at pointing them to the right opportunities in the world of work.
The headmaster of the school, Mr. Kattah, was full of gratitude to the Rotary Club of Tarkwa for the donations. He was particularly grateful for the time the Rotarians spent interacting with the students.
Rotary is a global network of 1.4 million neighbours, friends, leaders and problem-solvers who see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change.
The Tarkwa Club received its charter on March 24, 2017, and has since undertaken several projects, including the rehabilitation of the Hooper Memorial Special School in Tarkwa, the donation of a phototherapy machine to the Tarkwa Municipal Hospital, and the construction of ablution facilities for Agona MA Basic School all in the Western Region.
In 2023, the club plans to construct a 6-unit classroom block for Menhuntem MA Basic School. Fundraising activities are underway to make this project possible.
