Deloitte has announced the launch of its global initiative 'WorldClass' in Ghana, which aims to refurbish and restock eight libraries in rural and deprived basic schools.

The initiative is aimed at positively impacting over 35,000 children by 2030.

Globally, Deloitte's 'WorldClass' initiative seeks to prepare 100 million people to be better prepared for the future of work, in line with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goal (SDGs) four which ensures inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.

By collaborating with stakeholders across sectors, Deloitte aims to make a meaningful impact on issues that are critical to societal success. In Ghana, Deloitte, has identified Spring-UP Global Network, a youth-led not-for-profit, working to bridge the literacy gap between children in rural and urban Ghana, as a partner to realize its WorldClass purpose.

This partnership will see Deloitte and Spring-UP Global Network renovate and refurbish eight school libraries, making secure and conducive school libraries accessible to over 30,000 children in Ghana.  As an add-on incentive and intervention, the partnership will also launch Reading and Writing clubs in the beneficiary primary and Junior High Schools in Ghana.

In addition, the staff of Deloitte Ghana will collectively invest over 1000 hours to participate in reading and mentorship sessions for students in the first year of the program.

Commenting on the launch of WorldClass in Ghana, Daniel Kwadwo Owusu, Country Managing Partner of Deloitte Ghana said, "Our goal with WorldClass in Africa is to empower 20 million people by 2030, by providing them access to the education and skills required to find meaningful work in the new economy.

A 2022 report by the World Bank has revealed that 7 in 10 of all children in low-and-middle-income countries cannot read and understand a simple text by age 10. As a result, children without strong foundational literacy skills are less likely to gain the technical skills needed to succeed in society.

For this reason, Deloitte Ghana as part of our 75^th Anniversary celebrations has decided to work with Spring Up Global Network to refurbish and restock eight libraries in deprived schools across the country. With the advent of the industry 4.0 wave, the world is poised for a seismic shift, and to survive in it, we must cooperate to ensure that no one is left behind.

"We see this initiative as a tremendous opportunity to make a meaningful impact and create pathways for our future leaders to fulfill their aspirations", he said.  

Speaking at the occasion, Founder & CEO, Spring-UP Global Network, Akorfa Ama Akoto said, "According to the 2020 MICS-EAGLE Ghana Education Fact Sheet by UNICEF, 52% of children who do not have foundational reading skills come from the country's poor regions. With inadequate resources and poor facilities in rural schools contributing to poor academic performance, there is an urgent need to improve literacy rates in rural communities in Ghana".

"From providing schools with modern libraries to nurturing the reading and writing skills of children, at Spring-UP Global Network, we have a dream to make education and mentorship accessible to all children so as not to increase the already existing literacy gap between the rich and poor. This is why we are super excited to receive support from Deloitte's WorldClass to provide libraries for over 30,000 children", she stressed.

 The Library Project- iRead iLead Campaign

The iRead iLead Campaign is a 10-year strategic educational programme launched in January 2020 by Spring-UP Global Network which includes the iRead iLead Library Project and the iRead iLead Literacy Programme.

The iRead iLead Library Project focuses on renovating and building new libraries in rural and deprived schools in Ghana, while the iRead iLead Literacy Programme is focused on establishing Reading and Writing Clubs in schools to build the literacy capacity of children in rural communities.

Starting in October 2022, eight libraries will be refurbished and restocked for eight cluster of schools impacting a minimum of 16,000 lives in the first year across the Greater Accra, Eastern, Central, Ashanti, Volta and Oti regions.

WorldClass is Deloitte's organisation-wide global initiative, which seeks to prepare 100 million futures for a world of opportunity by 2030.

This bold ambition exemplifies how we live our Purpose, making an impact that matters, by addressing global challenges in society. By aligning around a common goal and mission, Deloitte is inspiring increased commitment and investment in education, skills development, and access to opportunity.

It aim to deliver the core skills, experience, and global reach to prepare and empower more people to take advantage of the rapidly changing world economy, use capabilities to enable educators and businesses to deliver the skills individuals need to meet future job demands and create simple solutions, facilitating collaborations with corporates and government institutions, aligning with local schools and not-for-profit organisations, and amplifying the existing efforts of various organisations.

Deloitte's 'WorldClass' programme in Ghana will focus on refurbishing and restocking eight libraries in rural and deprived basic schools to nurture tomorrow's future leaders through reading.  By engaging in long-term partnership with Spring Up Global Network which is working to bridge the literacy gap between children in rural and urban Ghana, we aim to impact 30,000 children by 2030.

Deloitte GhanA is a leading global provider of audit and assurance, consulting, financial advisory, risk advisory, tax, and related services.