A group of University of Guyana (UG) freshmen yesterday donated a number of books to promote literacy at several orphanages in the city.
In a press release the Ministry of Education said the project, titled ‘Educating Children; Helping Others’ is part of the coursework for students writing ENG 123. According to freshman Biology student and coordinator of the exercise Vickita Nandan the book drive is a response to the national need to address the problem of illiteracy, particularly among the less fortunate. As such, the project aims to promote literacy as a tool to combat social ills.
Nandan, along with group members Christina Karamchand, Subraj Singh, Kirk Jarvis, Nandanie Jerry, Dennon Lewis and Reshma Persaud donated more than 800 volumes to children of the Shaheed Boys and Girls Orphanages, the Ruimveldt Children’s Home and Care Centre and the Sophia Care Centre. The group encouraged the children to make reading a habit as it is the first step of the journey to becoming successful.
According to the release the project is being executed under the Heptagon Research Agency, a body formed for the completion of the ENG 123 course. It involves monitoring the use of books and the progress being made to boost literacy of children at the said homes. Nandan also hopes that the group’s effort will provide the impetus for more private and public sector organisations to get on board the drive to empower the vulnerable populace through education and by extension make Guyana a more literate nation.
