Ghana Reads 2019 Held

The partnership between e-Ananse Libraries and Ghana Reading Initiative (GRI), towards the second edition of ‘Ghana Reads’, an annual community reading festival, has been successfully executed. 

This year’s event, which was held at the new Accra Metropolital Assembly (AMA) Office Complex in Accra, last Wednesday was under the theme ‘To inform the Blackman, put it in a book’ and also commemorates the International Reading Day.

Speaking at the event as special guest, former Second Lady, Mrs. Matilda Amissah-Athur, said “We have no option as a country than to reignite the reading culture in our dear country for the progress we wish for.”

She indicated that in a growing competitive world, life-long learning, which can be acquired through the habit of reading, has become the only way to grow intellectually and build a wealth of knowledge.

The former Second Lady observed that studies had revealed that many children in sub-Saharan Africa struggle at the lower primary level to read in the official or any local language, and in instances where someone is able read, they do not understand what they read.

“We must build the culture of reading so as to promote socio-economic and human resource development,” she stated.

Accra Mayor, Mohammed Adjei Sowah, chairman for the programme, commended Ghana Reading Initiative (GRI) for their foresight and determination to change the face of libraries in the country and for encouraging reading among the youth and students in particular.

He said he was excited and impressed with renovation works going on with the opening of e-Ananse libraries as well as deploying its staff to assess the capacities of libraries throughout the country and to ascertain how best it could revamp them.

“The move will help improve the culture of reading among students,” he said.

Adjei Sowah further called on schools to partner with the e-Ananse initiative to encourage the habit of reading among students, adding that “without the authority, we will not be able to improve reading culture as a country.”

The essence of the second edition of ‘Ghana Reads’, organizers say, is to stock libraries in five communities within the AMA, namely Chorkor, Jamestown, Osu, Kawukudi and Korle Gonno.

‘Ghana Reads’ is a community-based reading campaign aimed at encouraging Ghanaians, particularly children and the youth, to develop the love for reading.

The event is also intended to promote the reading of Ghanaian fiction literature, as well as bridging the gap between readers and authors or publishers.

It featured a conversation on how to make reading a cultural practice in Ghana, explore different reading forms, such as Read Aloud, Dramatic Reading, Read & Play, Read & Colour, Voices & Acts, Read Chain, among others.

The event was attended by John Dumelo, Samia Nkrumah, Abla Dzifa Gomashie, Kofi Akpabli, Nana Kwasi Gyan Apenteng, Blakk Rasta, Prof. Lade Wosornu, Kwaku Elliot among others.