Care for Deprived Communities (CDC)-Ghana has reaffirmed its commitment to improving literacy among rural school children through its Rural Community Education Mobile Library Project (RUCEMLIP), a reading intervention that currently serves 20 schools across the Bole and Sawla-Tuna-Kalba districts.
Speaking after the climax of this year’s reading comprehension competition held at Nkilgi FM, the Executive Director of CDC-Ghana, Mr. Tomah John Kanyiti, said the organization introduced the project in response to the lack of reading materials in many rural schools.
According to him, CDC-Ghana, which has operated for nearly three decades, identified a growing challenge where schools, particularly in deprived communities, were no longer receiving adequate reading books.
“As a result, we secured support from our donor partners, Kinder Mission Work from Germany, to provide reading materials to schools in rural communities,” he said.
Mr. Kanyiti disclosed that the project currently circulates more than 3,000 books among 20 beneficiary schools, comprising 11 primary schools, five junior high schools, and four senior high schools.
He explained that students are encouraged to read the books, after which CDC officials visit the schools to assess their reading abilities. Outstanding readers are then selected to participate in an inter-school reading competition hosted on Nkilgi FM.
“The competition is designed not only to test reading skills but also to motivate students to develop a lifelong reading culture,” he noted.
He added that all participants who qualified for the competition received prizes, mainly educational materials, while the top three contestants in each category, together with their teachers, would be sponsored on an educational excursion to Jirapa Dubai, similar to last year’s trip.
One of the participating coaches, Mr. Blaise Galku of Bole Senior High School, praised CDC-Ghana and Nkilgi FM for sustaining the initiative and providing a platform for students to demonstrate their reading abilities.
He noted that the intervention has significantly addressed the shortage of reading materials in schools and enhanced literacy among students.
“Some of these books would never have reached our schools without CDC. Beyond supplying books, the organization also trains teachers and regularly rotates the books among schools, giving students access to a wider range of reading materials,” Mr. Galku said.
He described the competition as a powerful motivational tool that encourages students to improve their reading and comprehension skills.
“Every contestant received an award, which motivates them to work harder and return stronger next year. It also builds their confidence and public speaking abilities,” he added.
The reading comprehension competition involved 20 schools grouped into three categories.
In Category A (Primary Schools), Soma D/A Primary School emerged first, followed by St. Mary’s Primary School in second place, while Kulmasa Primary School secured third position.
For Category B (Junior High Schools), Kulmasa JHS took first place, Changbalanyiri JHS came second, and Jilinkon JHS placed third.
In Category C (Senior High Schools), Ndewura Jakpa Senior High Technical School emerged winners, Damongo Senior High School placed second, and Bole Senior High School finished third.
At the end of the competition, participating schools, winning students, and their coach masters received various prizes, including reading books, exercise books, scientific calculators, pens, pencils, trophies, and other educational materials.
The organizers expressed optimism that the initiative would continue to strengthen literacy, improve academic performance, and inspire a culture of reading among students in rural communities.
Source: NkilgifM.com
