Children and Books Belong Together
“Did you see the reading materials we gave Abel last week?” asked the headteacher. “I kept them safe in my suitcase, Mr Headteacher,” answered Abel’s father. Mr Headteacher knew that the reading materials had not served the intended purpose of aiding home study to accelerate learning in post-covid education. He shares this story to reinforce our argument about the reality that many times in homes where parents have no understanding of reading as a key competence to lifelong learning and success, books are treated as ritual objects which can only be used for some sort of occasion.
The Headteacher is named Alex and has been working for 15 years as a headteacher, five of which have been at Duhaga boys primary school where we first met him. He told us he has never seen an organization intervening to promote reading, especially reading for pleasure and leisure. And the fact that STEPi’s desire is for every child to own a storybook, many for the first time, he smiles in disbelief and wants to carry the books on his head to the classroom for them. STEPi believes a book in the hands of a child is a moving Library that will go around the village. Mr Alex thinks it is like lighting a small fire in the wilderness which can spread all over. A book owned by a child can indeed move hands and spread words, interestingly becoming a meaningful way for children to connect with one another and build the spirit of sharing and cooperation in learning and growth.
Such are the conversations that made part of STEPi’s reading caravan in the villages of western Uganda, through the grids of Mubende, Kakumiro, Kagadi, Kibaale, Kikuube and Hoima districts. At Rumogi primary school, Hellen, 11, smiles while holding a copy of “A Boy Named Justice”. “Teacher, you said I should write my name on it?” She asks. “Yes, it is yours and yours fully, please write your name on it,” responds Uncle Books. Hellen is seen borrowing pens with different colours to write her name using the colours used to write the title of her book.
Children and books belong together, have a right to be together, so putting them on the same page is a responsibility of all mature sane adults. Ten schools in five days, Uncle Books created enough time to promote transformative dialogue on the importance of early reading interventions, early childhood development, reading for fun, positive education and parenting with love and the power of positive psychology.
By:
Micheal Nelson Byaruhanga “AKA Uncle Books”
STEPi Coordinator: Uganda