Vivo Energy Ghana, the exclusive retailer and distributor of Shell brand fuels and lubricants, has launched the second phase of the Community Digital Literacy Project in the Tamale Metropolitan Area to expand its reach and reach more school children with relevant educational content and improve their reading skills.
This is in line with the company's commitment to support the growth of its operating areas and to play its role as a responsible corporate entity in complementing the government's efforts to achieve Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Four, which aims to "ensure inclusive and equitable quality education". and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.”
The second phase of the project was launched in collaboration with implementing partners, Worldreader Ghana and the Northern Regional Library.
In the first phase, twenty-five (25) households in the Tamale metropolis were selected and trained and given BookSmart tablets, giving households unlimited access to Ghana Education Service approved reading for school-aged children.
Since the program began in September 2021, more than 4,900 books have been read and completed in all 25 households, with an average of 29 books completed per day.
“After the evaluation of the first phase, the company can confidently say that the project has had a significant impact and it is only right that we make more resources available to expand the scale in the second phase,” says Ms. Shirley Tony Kum, Corporate Communications Manager of Vivo Energy Ghana on behalf of Mr. Kader Maiga, Managing Director of Vivo Energy Ghana.
She announced that the second phase of the project will reach schools with the support of a mobile library van, powered by Vivo Energy Ghana, and a loan option where school principals request to use the tablet for a certain period of time and return it to the library for use in other schools.
Funded by Vivo Energy Ghana, additional Booksmart tablets were also introduced to the Northern Regional Library to expand the reach by enrolling more pupils in the programme.
Project recipients were also given branded backpacks with educational items to motivate and recognize their dedication to reading.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Regional Coordinating Council, Mr. Gilbert B. Nuuri-Teg, on behalf of the Northern Regional Minister, commended Vivo Energy Ghana for demonstrating a sense of commitment to community development beyond its core business.
“Many would think that as an energy company the company would only focus on their core business, but the idea of ??improving our children's reading skills and knowledge base is very commendable. I would also like to thank the Northern Regional Library, Worldreader Ghana and all the facilitators for working together to ensure the success of the first phase of this very important project,” he added.
The Regional Director of the Ghana Library for the Northern Region, Mr. Aaron Kuwornu, commended the initiative and urged parents and facilitators to encourage their children to put the tablets to good use. He also said that the library continues to find innovative ways for people to access and read books of their choice regardless of their location.
Director of Education Metro, Tamale, Dr. Peter Attefuah, was impressed with the impact of the first phase of the project and encouraged all stakeholders to give their best in the second phase to help children develop an interest in reading and increase their ICT skills.
"The project positively changed children's regular extracurricular and weekend activities. Instead of the children saying "we are going to play", the narrative has now changed to "we are going to read". Parents have seen a lot of improvement in their children's academic work since the last trimester,” Fred Mensah, the Deputy Facilitators revealed, sharing some of the impacts of the event.
The Program Manager of Worldreader Ghana, Alhassan Abdul Kahad, encouraged school and household principals to take full advantage of the second phase of the project and highlighted the benefits of reading for the growth of society and the country.
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