A Non-governmental organisation, Street Children Empowerment Foundation, noted for helping children improve their reading habits, has commenced its “Reading is basic project”.

The Foundation’s project” is being organised to deliver an all-inclusive supplemental learning intervention to establish and promote reading in schools.

The project was kick-started with Phase 1 for some 22 basic schools out of the 40 schools that have been selected to participate in the project.

As part of the project, the Foundation donated 20,000 books to all participating schools to be used to set up libraries in all 22 schools.

The project is also estimated to benefit some 18,000 learners.

“We estimate that more than 18,000 learners will benefit from approximately 20,000 books donated by this project to set up libraries in each participating school. The project will also train at least 120 librarians across 40 schools both in Ga-South and Accra Metro,” the Foundation said in a statement on Friday, June 17.

At a Tuesday's stakeholder meeting at the Ga South Municipal Assembly, Street Children Empowerment Foundation noted that enrolling children in the project would be a major contributor to the improvement of reading amongst children.

The Project Coordinator, Anthony Kojo Bosomtwi, said the organisation aims to provide learning intervention to promote reading in public schools and appealed to the public for their support.

"GES and the Assembly called us that we should expand the project; there are more hinterland schools that need this help.

"We have 40 schools, but we are doing it in 2 phases because we cannot have all 40 in one year, so we are doing eight schools in GA South, and we will extend others to the Accra Metro whereby we are looking to equip them with necessary logistics".

" We are calling on all who are seeing this, hearing this or interested in this project to come and help us construct a decent library for them", he said.

He also acknowledged Book Aid International for its collaboration on the project.

Head of Supervision and Monitoring for Ga South, Faustina Naana Forson, revealed that there has been an improvement in the BECE results of schools enrolled on the project.

According to her, this initiative by Street Children Empowerment Foundation has helped improve children's learning habits.

"I can say the activities have helped the municipal so much an example I can also give is last year’s BECE result", she said.

Speaking in an interview with Joy News, Headmistress of Amuma M/A Basic School in Domeabra Sabina Yawa Agoh said this initiative has been beneficial to the selected schools in the municipal.

She called on the Foundation to expand the project to other schools within the municipality.

"In GA South, we have about 68 schools; they are only starting with 23 schools now, so we look forward that they will be able to cover the rest of the schools that are yet to be rolled out on the program", she said.

The selected schools are; Honise M/A Basic School, Akoteaku M/A Basic School, Taribiya Primary School, Kwaku Panfo M/A Basic School, Tupaa M/A Basic School, Amuman M/A Basic School, Domefaase M/A Basic School, Ngleshie Amanfro Community ‘1’ Basic, Ngleshie Amanfro Community ‘2’ Basic, Taribiya M/A ‘1’ Junior High School, Taribiya M/A ‘2’ Junior High School and Ngleshie Amanfro M/A ‘1’ Basic School.

The rest are; Ngleshie Amanfro M/A ‘2’ Basic School, Ngleshie Amanfro M/A ‘3’ Primary School, Ngleshie Amanfro M/A ‘4’ Primary School, Tomefa M/A Basic School, St. Faustina R/C Basic School, St. Peters R/C Basic School, Galilea M/A ‘1’ Junior High School, Galilea M/A ‘2’ Junior High School, Galilea M/A ‘1’ Primary School and Galilea M/A ‘2’ Primary School.