Over five thousand pupils of the State Experimental M/A Basic Schools and the Konongo M/A Mines Schools in the Ashanti Region are now having a comfortable reading environment as they access a refurbished and modern library facilities.

The library facilities filled with hundreds of reading materials spanning from science to literature are aimed at boosting students’ performance and ending access challenges to reading materials.

Joyceline, a final year student of the State Experimental M/A Basic school, has struggled with access to information to aid her studies.

Her only option, the internet, is depleting her little savings.

“It sometimes takes weeks and even months for us to grasp a concept. We have to go on the internet, visit certain websites before we can understand the topic at hand. I used to spend money buying airtime so I could access information on the internet. But now the library is here, all that we have to do if we do not understand anything, is to just visit the library,” she said.

For Afia, also a student of the school, the absence of a library erodes her love for reading.

“I don’t really like reading. I don’t have concentration. Taking a book to read from the first page to the last, I can’t do that,” she said.

The story of these students reflect that of many others in public basic schools in the Ashanti Region and other parts of the country.

Presently, only 45% of basic schools in the 43 districts and municipalities of the Ashanti Region have access to a library located on the school premises, with majority of them found in private basic schools.

Ashanti Regional Director of the Ghana Library Authority, Ofosu Frimpong is worried about the situation, and is pushing for more libraries.

“Looking at the number of libraries and the districts it cannot match up, and it is a worry. We are trying our best with the introduction of mobile library to bridge the gap. We are loading with books to supply them to schools so they can feel the essence of a library even though they do not have a static library,” he said.

Deloitte in collaboration with Spring-Up Global Network refurbished the two libraries equipped with thousands of books for the two public basic schools in the Ashanti Region.

Eight libraries are expected to be refurbished in public basic schools across the Ghana, with two regions - Greater Accra and Ashanti benefiting from the project so far.

Akorfa Ama Akoto, the Executive Director of Spring-Up Global Network said, “By 2030, we want to impact over 35,000 children together with Deloitte. Each school, the minimum must be 2,000 or more students. This project in the two schools is benefiting over 5,000 children,” she said.

Headteachers of the schools, Solomon Kankam and Joana Anokyewaa were grateful for the support, and expressed hope that the libraries would boost the academic performance of students.

“Currently, we are doing a standard base education and the core curriculum. Children need to research for information themselves and present in class. So when this library is here, it makes their work easier and teachers can supplement that in the classroom,” Joana Anokyewaa said.

Solomon Kankam is confident the libraries would help to build the confidence of students.

“This is going to boost the morale and confidence of the children. They will be bold this time round to be able to go out there to read and participate in spelling bee competitions,” Solomon Kankam said.

Each of the libraries has an African authored book section, Kids corner, and STEM sections to pique interest of students.

Encouraging the students to commit to reading, Country Director of Deloitte, Daniel Kwadwo Owusu, said the project will be replicated in other parts of the country.

“Over half a million cedis has been invested into the project. We have already commissioned two libraries. Our next plan is to move to Eastern, Central, Volta and the Oti Regions,” he said.