TSUMEB – The Oshikoto region’s Directorate of Education, Arts and Culture (DEAC) has launched an initiative to promote a positive reading culture amongst learners.

Speaking at the launch of the ‘Read One, Read All’ Reading Café project at Francis Galton Primary School in Tsumeb on Friday, director Aletta Eises emphasised the project’s goal to enhance reading interest and motivation, aiming for every learner to read a specific number of books between 2023 and 2025.

Eises said the programme is designed to instil a love of reading for pleasure, and help the learners become proficient readers.

“Young people must develop a passion for reading to become tomorrow’s leaders,” she added.

The launch event featured a singing competition with 60 learners from Tsumeb Secondary School, Tsintsabis Combined School, Onashikuvu Combined School and Francis Galton Primary School. Tsumeb Secondary School emerged victorious, with Francis Galton Primary School in second place.

The Reading Café project, sponsored by Norwegian company Kamerado AS, received N$ 530 329 in funding. So far, N$ 164 354 has been used to purchase four laptops and accessories, four projectors for participating schools, 398 storybooks and dictionaries, and T-shirts and caps for the singing competition participants.

“We remain grateful to those institutions such as Sinomine in Tsumeb and Kamerado AS in Norway for their immense empathy, forethought and aid towards education.”

– Nampa