Basoga urged to embrace reading

Unless people in Busoga Sub-region adjust and develop a reading culture, the region is likely to remain under-developed and poor, an official has said.

The director Speakers’ Forum, a local non-governmental organisation dealing in sourcing and equipping communities in Uganda with literature , Ms Victoria Balyeidhusa Sekitoleko, observes that the absolute poverty in Busoga is a result of lack of knowledge to exploit the available resources.
Ms Sekitoleko drew from the adage that, “if you want to hide any knowledge from an African put it in writing”.

The former agriculture minister (1988-1995) and former Food and Agriculture organisation representative to China and Mongolia, added that before citizens blame the government for the poverty rates, every individual should access personal input in seeking new knowledge and skills to improve livelihood.

She was speaking during the commissioning of Rebecca Namusubo Isiiko Memorial library in Masese III Village, Walukuba-Masese Division in Jinja District at the weekend.
“We are labouring to extend all sorts of books to people in Busoga and this is the 10th library we have stocked with books but funny enough people do not make use of them,” she said.

Background
The library was constructed through a partnership of Hope Institute, the proprietors of Light and Life church and the Rotary International friendship in memory of a fallen Rotarian Rebecca Isiiko. Speakers’ Forum provided the text books.

Rotarian David Warren, the leaders of a 10 Rotarian delegation from District 6250 in Wisconsin USA, said they fundraised $30,000 towards the erection of the library.

“We were impressed by the fact that some school-going children have started using the library and can now compete in reading. When we go back to the US, we shall endeavour to source for more books and funds to extend such services to other communities,” Mr Warren said.

Mr Elly Twine, the president of the rotary club of the Source of the Nile 9200, said the rotary club is now focusing on education-related issues to empower communities to become self-sustaining and promised to visit the library weekly and read books to the children and all people who will make use of it.

A reading competition was held and Sandra Nalubega, a Senior Three student at Busoga Light College emerged winner.