The Samira Empowerment and Humanitarian Project (SEHP) has handed over literary materials to some selected schools in three municipal and district assemblies in the central region.

The project, dubbed "library-in-a-box," according to the second lady, forms part of her quest to enlighten students with the happenings in the world through reading.

Under the project, boxes filled with storybooks of different reading levels are distributed to the schools to expand access and close the literacy gap.

Presenting the books to the schools, the Second Lady encouraged the heads of the schools and teachers to run reading clubs to further drive the interest of the children in exploring the world through stories.

Since its inception in 2017, the Library-In-A-Box project has distributed over two hundred thousand (200,000) books to sixty-eight (68) basic schools across the country, benefitting an incalculable number of school pupils.

“I know that growing up, it’s the books that helped me to be who I am today. Books help you to learn about the world you haven’t traveled to. You can gain knowledge of unfamiliar societies in this way. It’s your window into the world, "she said.

She continued by telling the students and teachers that they could learn and aspire to be anything if they opened a book and read about it.

"When you learn about a foreign country, you can be sure that when you visit it in the future, you'll already be familiar with it. If you want to see a window into the world, then the magic is through the reading of books."

She charged them to use the opportunities they have got to read to improve their literary skills, which would open the doors of the world to them.

The books were not for display, and Samira Bawumiah informed the teachers and the school administrators that she did not want to visit the schools and see the books in their brand-new, untouched condition. This will imply that the children have not been given assistance in learning to read them. She said she wanted to read it with them, share it with them, make a reading area for them, and set aside some time for them to read.

According to her, the books have been put in the containers to keep them safe, clean, and tidy so that they won’t be dusty and get destroyed by the rain.

St. Peter’s Anglican Basic ‘A’, St. Peter’s Anglican 'B’, St. Francis Anglican Basic, St. Ann’s Anglican Basic, and the Icodex Basic school were the beneficiaries of the gesture.

While addressing the gathering, the Central Regional Minister, Justina Marigold Assan, advised them to stick to their books in order to become good leaders in the future.

"You will become somebody in the future if you stick to your books. As teachers, we must learn to encourage the children to read the books,” she said.

Nana Opei Mensah, the chief of Opeikuma, also urged the second lady to use her position to fix the town's terrible roads, which, in his opinion, make it difficult for schoolchildren traveling from Kasoa to Opeikuma.

"I appreciate the second lady's office's support, but I would like to ask her to use her position to influence the construction of the Opeikuma town roads, which are in a terrible state. Because of the poor condition of the road, these schoolchildren must pay exorbitant transportation costs to get to school, so repairing the road will be very important to the Opeikuma community.

The MP for Awutu Senya East and Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development, Mavis Hawa Koomson, commended the Second Lady for coming to the aid of Kasoa Opeikuma schools with books.

The Samira Empowerment Humanitarian Project (SEHP) has also supported after-school clubs that teach children how to read, the most notable of which is Play & Learn Foundation.