WHY BOOKS AND LIBRARIES?

Literacy

In Africa Reading House we believe that education is the great equalizer in the world, and books are at the foundation of a strong educational system. For many children in Africa, the gift of books truly is a gift of hope. Poverty and illiteracy in Africa are both at extremely high levels. Access to an education is one of the only opportunities young people have to end the cycle of poverty and attain a better quality of life than previous generations. Africa Reading House works to help children who otherwise would not attend school by supplying educational materials to reduce or eliminate education costs.

Libraries

Around the world, one thing that has been shown to be a consistently powerful predictor of academic achievement is a home or school library equipped with books. Libraries can make a huge difference. In our opinion, the place to focus is in the library, both the school and home library. Research proves that children that attend the library regularly read better than their peers. Children that attend preschool story hour at libraries enter school with greater pre-reading skills and emergent literacy skills needed to succeed in school and life than their peers that didn’t visit the library regularly. One of the many benefits of going to the library is an environment that instills the love of reading which leads to improved reading. Better libraries equipped with age appropriate books means more literacy development for younger readers as well as for secondary school students.

In an increasingly global world, it is essential that the current generation of African children receive a world-class education and delivering books to students is a tried and true method to move this vision towards a reality. We believe that access to books can change our lives and other people’s lives. When a child has access to books, he or she can read. And when they read, they learn. Without reading we wouldn’t know anything that we know today!

Impact

For the last three years, Africa Reading House Inc. has had the great privilege of undertaking an innovate project in the Ashanti region in Ghana. Our first library was built in the small village of Ayaase. The library helps to develop good study habits and learning skills as well as, interest in reading and university! These programs and projects are designed to cultivate the future leaders, innovators, educators, and entrepreneurs of Ghana.