The second phase of the community digital literacy project by Vivo Energy Ghana, the only marketer and distributor of fuels and lubricants under the Shell brand, has begun in the Tamale Metropolitan region.
This will broaden the audience, engage more students with pertinent instructional material, and enhance their reading abilities.
The project is consistent with the company's commitment to promoting the expansion of its operations regions and participating as a responsible corporate entity in assisting the government in reaching Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4.
"Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and encourage opportunities for lifelong learning for all," states SDG 4.
Together with the project's implementing partners, Worldreader Ghana and the Northern Regional Library, the second phase of the initiative was started. Phase One involved the selection, training, and distribution of BookSmart Tablets to 25 Tamale Metropolis homes, giving them unrestricted access to literature for school-age children that had been approved by the Ghana Education Service.
Over 4,900 books have been read and finished across all 25 families since the program's beginning in September 2021, with an average of 29 books finished per day.
After evaluating Phase One, the company is confident in stating that the project had a significant impact. Accordingly, Shirley Tony Kum, Corporate Communications Manager of Vivo Energy Ghana, speaking on behalf of Kader Maiga, Managing Director of Vivo Energy Ghana, "It is only right that we make more resources available to expand the scope in the second phase."
Phase two of the project, according to her, will involve reaching out to the schools with the help of a mobile library van powered by Vivo Energy Ghana and offering a lending option whereby heads of schools can ask to borrow tablets for a set amount of time before returning them to the library for use by other schools.
Vivo Energy Ghana has donated extra Booksmart tablets to the Northern Regional Library in order to broaden the program's appeal by include more students in it.
The project's beneficiaries also received branded backpacks filled with educational materials to encourage and recognise their dedication to reading.
Gilbert B. Nuuri-Teg, the Chief Director of the Regional Coordinating Council, praised Vivo Energy Ghana for exhibiting a feeling of dedication toward community development outside of its primary business while speaking on behalf of the Northern Regional Minister.
"Many people would have assumed that an energy company would simply concentrate on its core business, but the idea of going above and beyond to improve our children's reading abilities and knowledge base is incredibly laudable.
He said, "I would also want to thank Worldreader Ghana, the Northern Regional Library, and all the facilitators for working together to make the first part of this extremely important initiative a success.
Aaron Kuwornu, the Northern Regional Director of the Ghana Library Authority, praised the project and urged parents to support it. He said that the library keeps coming up with creative methods for individuals to get the books they want to read, wherever they are.
The project's first phase's impact satisfied Tamale's Metro Director of Education, Dr. Peter Attefuah, who urged all stakeholders to put their best effort in the second phase to encourage youngsters to read and improve their ICT abilities.
"The project has positively altered the kids' typical weekend and after-school activities. The youngsters are now quoted as stating, "We are going to read," as opposed to, "We are going to play."
Since the previous trimester, parents have noticed significant improvements in their children's academic performance. During his presentation of some impact tales during the event, Fred Mensah, a representative of the facilitators, revealed this.
Alhassan Abdul Kahad, the Worldreader Ghana's Programs Manager, urged heads of households and schools to fully use the project's second phase and emphasised the advantages of reading for the development of society and the nation.
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