I was lucky to be born to an educated mother who knew the value of reading and education. Though she did not have the money to buy us books as a children, she used every chance after dinner to read to us the bible. This somehow left a mark on me, and later in life as I started to read, I have seen how reading has been able to impact and transform my life.
Since we started this campaign to take 10 million books to 10 million children across the country, I have witnessed the same transforming power of books in several children. All children get extremely excited when chanced with holding a book they can call their own.
Our teams have been going throughout the country to distribute books to communities and schools. In Nebbi, the children marked the car and whenever it parked they surrounded it and demanded for books so they can get a chance to read these interesting stories. In Northern Uganda, we went through communities and schools, stopping at every trading center and engaging with community members and at every school reading with the children. The excitement exhibited cannot truly be described in mere words.
In Eastern Uganda, the inability for children in grade 6 and 7 to read reenergized our resolve to get as many books out as possible. We continue to understand the magnitude of the problem and how much more needs to be done to transform our reading culture and to get children to get excited about reading, learn to read so they can read to learn.
Thanks to your help, we have distributed over 6,000 books to children across the country and over the next few months, we shall be taking 2,500 books to refugee settlements in the north and western parts of the country, giving an opportunity for refugee children to enjoy these books as well.
You get yourself a copy of the books we have available on our website, http://www.spellingbee.ug