The Osenase Community in the Lower West Akyem Municipality in the Eastern Region now has a library.
This has been made possible by the First Lady, Rebecca Akufo-Addo, with support from the Abdul Samad Rabiu Africa Initiative (ASR Africa).
It is a part of the Rebecca Foundation’s “Learning to Read, Reading to Learn” initiative.
The fourth library so far, the Osenase Library project is part of a collaborative endeavour by the Rebecca Foundation and the ASR Africa initiative to construct eight of 12 libraries in various communities across the country as part of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in June 2021 for a grant of $500,000 to support the foundation’s educational initiatives.
The foundation is hoping to construct 12 libraries with the support of various partners to inculcate the reading habit among schoolchildren by providing them with the appropriate ambience, interesting and relevant reading materials to enrich their knowledge.
ASR Africa is an initiative of Nigerian industrialist and philanthropist, Abdul Samad Rabiu, to give back to the African continent through the promotion of sustainable health care, education and social development.
Make proper use
Inaugurating the new edifice, Mrs Akufo-Addo, who is also the Executive Director of the Rebecca Foundation, urged traditional leaders and elders in the area to encourage their children to make proper use of the facility.
“I am very excited to see the completion of this ultra-modern library facility here at Osenase in the Eastern Region.
This is indeed a dream come true.
“I advise the children in this community and its environs to make good use of this facility since it will go a long way to help their future”, she said.
Mrs Akufo-Addo stated that the Learning to Read, Reading to Learn initiative was to support the government to achieve the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4 which aims to “Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.”
She expressed her appreciation to the chief, elders and people of Osenase, the Member of Parliament for Lower West Akyem, Charles Acheampong, and the municipal assembly for their tremendous support for the project to be successfully completed.
She announced that the next libraries to be completed would be at Akropong and the Achimota School.
The Managing Director of ASR Africa, Ubon Udoh, expressed the organisation’s gratitude to the Rebecca Foundation for such a wonderful partnership.
He said ASR Africa would do anything humanly possible to see to the completion of the other four libraries.
” We at ASR Africa, are happy to partner the Rebecca Foundation in the construction of the four other libraries, and we would surely do more with the foundation, ” he said.
Also, the MP, Mr Acheampong, commended the First Lady for her initiative for the benefit of the health and educational sectors.
“On behalf of my people, chiefs and elders of Osenase, I say a very big thank you to Rebecca Akufo-Addo for the kind heart you have for women and children in the country.
“We have seen all the works you and your partners are doing to help our various communities, and we are grateful.
“I want to also take the opportunity to thank ASR Africa for the financial support towards the completion of the ultra-modern library in my constituency,” Mr Acheampong said.
Source: Graphiconline
