In a remote community of Sakyiama in Ghana, a lawyer is making efforts to promote the culture of reading among children with the building of a library.
The founder of the Bekoe Public Library, Samuel Yaw Bekoe, grew up in Adieso where he began his primary education.
He told Africa Feeds that helping to put up such a library was dear to his heart since he didn’t have access to such a facility while growing up.
To fulfil his appetite for reading Bekoe had to travel 60 kilometres away to the country’s capital, Accra.
“Africa’s problem is attributed to lack of effective leadership, and we need to start from somewhere by brightening the corner where we are through effective reading habit. Because people who do not read can never lead effectively,” he told Africa Feeds.
Built at the cost of almost $16,000, the Bekoe’s Public Library is expected to serve thousands of people in the community, east of the West African nation.
Managers of the facility say they are still seeking for funds via GoFundMe to sustain the library.
“An empty head without a brain is a load to the neck and the best treasure we should leave the next generation should be unperishable and that should be knowledge in the head, love from the heart and kindness from the hands.
I am confident to leave this legacy for the next generation via this Sakyiama village library building,” he said.
Students from five clusters of basic schools are expected to also use the library for research purposes. Secondary schools 5 kilometres away from the community can also easily access the library.
That means these students would no longer have to walk long distances away from the community to use a library facility.
The 79-year-old expressed his desire to “preserve the future for the next generation.”
He revealed his commitment “to improve upon the reading styles and skills of the youth in my community here at Sakyiama and the nation as a whole.”
Bekoe hopes beneficiaries would sooner become useful citizens to their community just like him and the entire nation.
“Since readers end up becoming leaders, it has been my burning desire to raise more leaders through this channel and this building so that we can raise great people from Sakyiama village here for global impact,” he said.
Those willing to support the library project in any way can send email to nbekoe@gmail.com.
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Source: Africafeeds.com
