By Raymond Awiagah

The Literacy Project by Rotary Club of Accra Legon East

More than 750 pupils of Sowa Din Memorial 1 Junior High School (JHS) at Ashaley Botwe in Accra are expected to benefit from a literacy project by the Rotary Club of Accra Legon East.

The club has presented books and other educational materials to the school to support teaching and learning and encourage pupils to develop a stronger culture of reading.

The initiative, known as the Basic School Literacy Project, was held under the theme: “Literacy for People, the Planet and Prosperity; Promoting a Culture of Reading for a Brighter Future.”

The project has also received support from Winmat Publishers Ltd, which donated textbooks to the school.

Addressing a gap in learning materials

For teachers at Sowa Din Memorial 1 JHS, the donation comes at a time when access to some learning materials has been a challenge.

The Head of the English Department, Mrs Benedicta Asantewa, said the school has more than 750 students, but some pupils have struggled to get their own copies of important literature books.

She mentioned Beacon of Light, one of the literature books used by students, as an example.

According to her, the book was not readily available to the school, so some students had to rely on limited copies.

“Few people have gotten it and so the ratio to a book is a problem,” she said.

She said the Rotary donation will now give students better access to the books.

“For us to have the privilege of receiving from Rotary Club, I think it’s more of a blessing.”

Mrs Asantewa believes having individual copies will also make it easier for teachers to help students build their vocabulary and improve their pronunciation.

“Now that they are going to have one-to-one, it will give them the privilege of looking at the words, recognizing them and then the teacher helps them to pronounce them correctly.”

She said the benefit of improving English goes beyond the English classroom.

“Once you can speak English, you can read English and understand. It helps you to read other subjects.”

She explained that stronger reading and comprehension skills can help pupils understand subjects such as Mathematics and Social Studies.

The materials presented to the school also included books for Science and Basic Design and Technology.

“These are books that we yearn for,” Mrs Asantewa said.

Rotary says literacy can create lasting impact

The President of the Rotary Club of Accra Legon East, Eunice Yacoba, said the literacy project forms part of the club’s commitment to creating lasting impact.

For her, the project also has a personal connection.

Mrs Yacoba studied Publishing and worked for more than nine years as an Editorial Assistant at Winmat Publishers Ltd, where she helped produce textbooks and readers.

She said the experience makes the opportunity to put books into the hands of young people particularly meaningful.

The club also expressed its appreciation to Winmat Publishers Ltd for supporting the project with textbooks.

Mrs Yacoba encouraged the pupils to make good use of the books and develop the habit of reading beyond their school textbooks.

“Read your textbooks, but also read stories, discover new ideas, learn about the world and allow books to take you places you have never been.”

She said a book can open opportunities for young people that they may not have imagined.

Pupils welcome the books

The pupils who spoke in an interview with Behind the Brand Global expressed appreciation for the intervention.

The Senior Boys’ Prefect, Maxwell Des-Desbordes, thanked the Rotary Foundation for the books and said they would support students in their studies.

“These books will help us a lot.”

He also encouraged his fellow students to make good use of the materials.

The Senior Girls’ Prefect, Ablodepe Esianyo Perpetual, said the literature books would be useful because English is part of the students’ daily lives.

“We use English in our daily lives, so the literature book will really help us in every subject.”

She added that many students did not previously have their own literature books.

“Most of us also don’t have a literature book, so this book will really help us in our daily lives.”

School welcomes Rotary’s support

The Headmistress of Sowa Din Memorial 1 JHS, Mrs. Constance Benney Wells also expressed appreciation to the Rotary Club of Accra Legon East for the intervention.

She said the school believes the materials will support pupils in different ways.

“We believe the items here will go a long way to support our learners in diverse ways.”

For the school, the value of the donation goes beyond the number of books received.

Teachers will now have additional materials to use in lessons, while pupils will have greater access to books that can support reading, vocabulary development and understanding across different subjects.

More than a donation

The Rotary Club of Accra Legon East has a history of supporting education-related projects. Its published projects include book donations to school libraries and other community interventions.

Sowa Din Memorial 1 JHS has also benefited from Rotary-linked educational support in the past. In 2022, the school received 15 computers and an ICT laboratory refurbishment through a partnership involving the Rotaract Club of Adenta Central and the Rotary Club of St. John’s East, Canada. At the time, the school had a student population of about 700.

The latest literacy project adds another area of support: access to books and learning materials.

For the more than 750 pupils expected to benefit, the hope is simple more access to books, more reading and better learning support.

And for the Rotary Club of Accra Legon East, the project is another step towards its goal of creating lasting impact through service.

At Sowa Din Memorial 1 JHS, the real measure of the project will not only be the books presented, but how many pupils pick them up, read them, and use what they learn to improve their lives.