Book Drive at the Wamukisa Home.
Mason Cooley once said, “Reading gives us someplace to go when we have to stay where we are.” Books are a gateway to our imagination and a pass to live as many lives as possible. Through books, we can live as sailors in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer on the Mississippi River or detectives in The Secret Seven by Enid Blyton. Most of my memories as a child were formed between the pages of the Enid Blyton books series where I would stretch my imagination as far as possible. In those pages, the sky was the limit. I would picture the hang-out spots of the Secret Seven and think about the cases that they had to solve as I took my morning cereal before school. I am a collection of all the books I have read and I am forever grateful for the authors who shaped the world I knew as a child. It pains me that not every child in Uganda has access to the same magical land that I lived in.
There is a common saying that; if you want to hide something from an African, put it in a book. Its basis is derived from the notion that most Africans have a poor reading culture. Unfortunately, this trait is not foreign to Ugandans.
In 2007, the National Curriculum Development Centre(NCDC), approved the Early Childhood Development Policy in the Education Sector. This policy stresses the importance of Early Childhood Education (ECD); the early stimulation of different parts of the brain to provide social and learning advancement throughout life. Such care does not produce a self-centered child, but rather a child, who trusts, is curious, strives to learn new things, and is skillful in social interaction. This is a good initiative and a potential stepping stone towards achieving a literate generation if implemented well.
However, limited access and availability of reading materials, inadequate reading facilities, and the non-involvement of parents have inhibited the progress of developing a reading culture among school-going children. In addition to this, reading is only associated with formal education and therefore most of the reading material that is in circulation consists of textbooks or religious books. Most of the fiction books and adventure books aren’t as available to children because they are looked at as a waste of time and yet they are the missing key to expanding the reading culture in Uganda and broadening the imagination of the children.
Stephen King said, “Books are uniquely portable magic.” Just like different shoes fit different people, different books suit different readers and the children in Uganda should have a variety of books to choose from. Every book shapes the reader’s mind and imagination, so why not give children a chance to create their own imagination unique to them?
Pro Bono Uganda in partnership with Aristoc would like to invite you to help the children of Uganda shape their imagination. We would like to grow the library of the Children of Wamukisa Youth Center with a collection of educational/ creative material for infants in nursery to primary two through a book drive that will be held throughout April.
Wamukisa Youth Center is a refuge for neglected teenage mothers which opened in 2005 to care for them and provide them with training in different life skills. The teenage mothers are not able to live at home or with their relatives due to various reasons like assault, rejection, or financial difficulties. The book drive is specifically for the children of these mothers. Wamukisa Youth Center has a school in the home that teaches nursery to primary two classes. The children are 52 in number.
It is through this book drive that Probono Uganda hopes to support the school and the 52 children with anything educational and creative. We encourage everyone to come and support us with anything they can find. It can be picture books, activity books, puzzles, or colors. The Collection point will be at the Pro Bono Book Club physical meeting which will happen on the 14th of April at the Sankara Pan African Library and Cafe.
I believe something magical happens when you read a book and it would be lovely to extend this same magic to the children at the Wamukisa Youth Centre.
Join the adventure! Donate a book and Inspire a child!
(In case you are not able to come to the book club meeting with your donation you can contact the number on the poster. If you would also like to join us when we have the visit to take the books, do let us know. You are more than welcome. Thank You!)
