Mr. Luc libraries for promotion of child education
Unless children are exposed to literature at an early age they are unlikely to cultivate a reading culture, which is key to developing their literal skills and education.
This was observed by member of Parliament (MP) for Ndirande-Malabada Aaron Sangala on Tuesday when he officially opened Mr. Luc Library at Henry Henderson Institute (HHI) Primary School in Blantyre.
Mr. Luc Libraries is a project initiated by the executive director of Jacaranda School for Orphanage, Luc Deschamps, who is also the French honorary consul in Malawi.
The project is aimed at promoting child education through establishment of libraries in schools and some communities in Blantyre.
Sangala said: “We need to invest in children’s knowledge if we are to set a meaningful foundation of our nation. An investment in children’s knowledge is a solution to problems facing the country because it will help them become better leaders tomorrow.”
He said that the vision of Mr Luc’s Children Libraries is in line with government’s vision to promote early childhood development (ECD) and education in the country.
In his remarks, Blantyre City deputy mayor Joseph Makwinja who emphasised on the importance of promoting child education, particularly of the girl child.
On his part, Deschamps said books are a refuge for children, which sets them free from vicious circles of ignorance.
“There is no effective way to set children free from shackles of poverty of the mind than to introduce them to good literature. They need books to prepare them to become better leaders. The more they read, the more they become knowledgeable and apply skills to daily life issues,” said Deschamps.
Mr. Luc Library at HHI Primary School is the fifth and has been established at a cost of K 2 million.
The Charchar Trust has also contributed several child-friendly books.
“We are committed to promoting literacy among children,”said Natalie Conti, the national coordinator of Charchar Trust in the country. n
