The first lady, Rebecca Akufo-Addo has commissioned and handed over a new library facility for the people of Kumawu in the Ashanti Region.
The facility which will serve the people Sekyere in the Kumawu District Assembly in the Ashanti Region was constructed by the Rebecca Foundation (Belonging to the First Lady) with support from the Ghana Library Authourity, the Ghana Education Service, Ghana Library Authority and Book Aid International.
In a brief speech read on her behalf, the first lady stated the need for reading as one of the surest ways in acquiring quality education because it exposed children to the immense knowledge contained in books and other reading materials.
She indicated that since assuming office in 2017, the NPP administration under the leadership of President Akufo-Addo, had implemented several policies aimed at making education affordable and accessible to all Ghanaian children.
“Government has invested huge resources in implementing policies such as Free SHS, free hot meals, free textbooks, and free uniforms among others, all aimed at ensuring equal access to education, to break the vicious cycle of inequalities”, Mrs Akufo-Addo said.
However, she said the laudable policies stood the risk of bearing little fruit if the foundation of reading, was not strengthened.
She added that, her Rebecca Foundation, therefore, had through its “Learning to Read, Reading to Learn” Initiative, constructed, resourced and commissioned many libraries in places around the country including Wenchi in the Bono Region, Sefwi Debiso in the Western North Region, Moree in the Central Region, Daffiama Bussie Issah in the Upper West Region, Amansaman in the Greater Accra Region and Kumawu in the Ashanti region.
She took the opportunity to announce some soon-to-be-completed libraries at Bortianor in the Greater Accra Region and Dambai in the Oti Region, adding that the Rebecca Foundation would, continue to support the government’s effort to make education accessible and attractive to all young people.
The first lady also entreated parents, guardians and other stakeholders to encourage their wards to patronise the reading facilities, emphasising that, literacy was how lifelong learning and a child’s ability to learn to the highest levels remained possible.
Mrs. Akufo-Addo Addo also advised the people to continue adhering to the COVID-19 safety protocols in all their daily activities, warning that the deadly disease was no respecter of persons and knew no boundaries.
Mr Philip Basoah, Member of Parliament for Kumawu, expressed his gratitude to the First Lady for her support and congratulated her on her immense contribution in empowering the youth through education.
Present at the commissioning were Mr Samuel Addai Agyekum, District Chief Executive for Kumawu as well as some officials of the Assembly and Traditional leaders in the area.
