While the world celebrates its love for stories and reading today, we've joined forces with Book Aid International to provide more children in Ghana with the gift of books!
Following an introduction from our friends at People's Postcode Lottery, we're working with Book Aid International and our partners at Sabre Trust to raise literacy standards for 4 to 8 year olds in some of Ghana's most vulnerable communities. Right now 7,000 beautifully illustrated books are making their way from London to Ghana having kindly been donated by Book Aid!
In the regions of Ghana where we work, some studies suggest that just 2% of children can read a simple sentence in English or their mother tongue after 4 years of primary school. People's Postcode Lottery helped us to join forces with Book Aid International, who are supporting our Foundations for Life project, which aims to improve early literacy in 115 schools by providing training for Kindergarten teachers and form reading clubs in schools.
The books being provided by Book Aid International include beautiful children’s books full of colourful pictures to help teachers ignite young readers’ excitement about reading and phonics books to help children begin to learn to read. These books will be an important resource for teachers, helping them enrich their classrooms and encourage young children to read. Last month, we spent two afternoons with Sabre Trust and Book Aid at their warehouse in Camberwell, where we stamped and packed 7,000 books ready for shipping.
Our COO, Charlie, explained the difference these books will make in Ghana:
“Our early years work is transforming the first experience children have of school in very poor communities. It’s out with passive teaching, boring lessons and the cane, and in with exciting and fun ways to learn that really work and will help children go further in their studies. We’re delighted to be teaming up with Book Aid International to bring these amazing books to children who might never have seen one before, and help them develop a real love of reading and learning.”
Both AfriKids and Book Aid International are supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery, and the funding provided by the players is allowing us both to amplify our joint impact. Book Aid International Chief Executive Alison Tweed spoke about her excitement about providing books to Ghana for the first time in many years thanks to players’ support:
“We’re delighted to be a part of helping AfriKids and the Sabre Trust increase early literacy in Ghana. We hope that the books we provide will help these children develop a love of reading which will stay with them throughout their lives, helping them succeed in education and enjoy a lifetime of reading.”
Players of People’s Postcode Lottery have supported AfriKids and Book Aid collectively with almost £2.5 million and we'd like to say a HUGE thank you to players of PPL for all their support and for helping the books on their way to Ghana!!
