The establishment of a Reading Club at the St. George's Anglican Basic School in Chorkor in the Greater Accra Region is expected to contribute to increasing literacy among learners.
 
The initiative would see young learners, especially females, having access to reading materials and provided the needed guidance to enhance their understanding of the English, French, German, and Spanish languages.

Three dynamic Women, namely: Sylvia S.A. Demanya, a Business Consultant, Kailey Georgina Allotey, a Human Resource Consultant and Imeta Akakpo, a French Literature Lecturer & Analyst, French Female Activist, birthed the idea and sponsored the formation of the Club.

This trio brings on board varied academic backgrounds and global exposure in French, Spanish, German, and English from a literature perspective.

The St. George's Anglican Basic School in Chorkor, which is in a densely populated coastal community, was selected due to the lack of academic logistics, infrastructure, and proper sanitation facilities, among others

Another factor considered was the volatile nature of young females in the community who are exposed to early sexual activities, teenage pregnancy, among other vices.

A representative from SYLDEM Foundation, Sylvia S.A. Demanya, said that education is crucial for individual empowerment and societal development, encompassing various aspects beyond just schooling.

She said her outfit adopted a holistic approach to identifying situations and challenges in society, ensuring that it develops project modules that would resolve the challenges and impact humanity.

She explained that the purpose of the establishment of the Reading Club in schools was to “foster the habit of reading, to enhance literacy skills, and promote social-emotional learning among students to discuss books, share ideas, and connect with their peers.”

She underscored that the initiative would ultimately lead to improved academic performance and a lifelong appreciation for literature.

“This is a club that is female-oriented, to inspire girls aged 10-15 years, meant to explore their knowledge, think critically, dream and imagine in-depth, colourfully through books.”

“It's about ensuring girls learn, feel safe, acquire knowledge and skills, develop life skills, and make informed decisions that impact their lives and communities, now and for the future”, she stressed.

She further said that “presenting these books or reading materials to the Club promotes the future of vocabulary growth, grammar acquisition, writing skills development, artificial intelligence, and wellbeing to combat the feeling of loneliness among others.

Madam Demanya emphasised that, though their main objective was to empower the girl child, they would rope in their male counterparts.

“There is a need for the boys to also be part of the activities of the Club, where necessary. The inclusion of boys’ empowerment is crucial as well, for fostering well-rounded and compassionate young men as they grow to navigate life challenges”, she explained.

She concluded by saying, “We stand to institute a model of a Reading Club to support the overall academic achievement across all subjects being studied, an act to enhance critical and analytic skills by engaging with text, words, or phrases in books for in-depth discussions can help students develop critical thinking.

“Also, not forgetting the students' boost in confidence and self-esteem in their voices and abilities, sharing ideas and opinions among peers. Aside from that, students develop empathy and understand different perspectives in life.”