NGOs IMPROVING LITERACY LEVELS IN UGANDA

NGO partners with New Vision to improve literacyPublish Date: Mar 05, 2014

Quality care junior school Mbarara pupils reading books donated by NABOTU. Picture by Andrew Masinde

newvision

By Andrew Masinde

National Book Trust of Uganda (NABOTU) is to partner with New Vision to improve literacy in Uganda.
Speaking to journalists at the NABOTU office in Kampala yesterday, the patron Reading Association of Uganda (RAU), Loy Tumusiime said that it is the only way the country will improve on her literacy rates.

She pointed out that though there’s progress in the education system in the country, the reading culture is worrying.
Books exhibited during NABOTU’s book festival and national conference on literacy. Picture by Andrew Masinde

 Books exhibited during NABOTU’s book festival and national conference on literacy. Picture by Andrew Masinde

“As we organised this book festival and the second national conference on literacy, we partnered with the New Vision as one of the sponsors to boost education standards of our country. We are also going to hold a teachers’ dialogue where we will teach them how to utilise the little resources at their disposal, to improve on the poor reading culture we have in the country,” Tumusiime said.
She added that reading is the foundation for a good academic performance. To promote it, there is need to encourage the formation of reading, writing and debating clubs and activities which encourage reading in schools.
NABOTU is a non-government organization that brings together associations and institutions within Uganda’s book sector to promote authorship, publishing and a culture of reading in Uganda.
Charles Batambuze, the executive secretary NABOTU said the conference is aimed at sharing a wide range of experiences of what works and what does not work in respect to literacy promotion and providing learning of what needs to be done.
“We want to provide a forum for government to engage with actors in the field of literacy on new policy directions and strategies for achieving the broader education goals.
Also develop a framework for networking, advocacy and promotion of literacy across Uganda,” Batambuze explains.