Grand opening
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A book is a window to the world, it is a ray of sunshine that lights up dark nights, it is the best advisor in all matters.
We grow up with the idea that books are our best friends. Thanks to them, we embark on distant journeys, discover continents and dream of adventures. When we go on the road or on vacation, we usually pack a book in our travel bag. To quote the Polish Nobel Prize winner, Wislawa Szymborska:
"Reading is a wonderful pastime that mankind has invented for itself". But can you imagine your world without books? When we started our foundation's work in 2016 in rural Ghana, it was the very thought of a local library that became our biggest dream. Many public schools, don't even have a school space like a library, yet it was where you would spend time during school breaks, plundering the bookshelves in search of the school book or comic book that all your classmates happened to be reading. Reading books was a big part of our lives growing up, it developed our imagination and gave us a new perspective on the world. This is coming from me, person who grew up in the days before the mobile revolution. Access to children's literature in rural areas of Ghana is quite limited, rarely do children even own their own book, and when one is found in their possession, the journey it has taken can easily be estimated by its unimpressive appearance. It is so important for children to be surrounded by books that reflect their world, support their identity, and teach them about the most important values.
"Reading is a wonderful pastime that mankind has invented for itself". But can you imagine your world without books? When we started our foundation's work in 2016 in rural Ghana, it was the very thought of a local library that became our biggest dream. Many public schools, don't even have a school space like a library, yet it was where you would spend time during school breaks, plundering the bookshelves in search of the school book or comic book that all your classmates happened to be reading. Reading books was a big part of our lives growing up, it developed our imagination and gave us a new perspective on the world. This is coming from me, person who grew up in the days before the mobile revolution. Access to children's literature in rural areas of Ghana is quite limited, rarely do children even own their own book, and when one is found in their possession, the journey it has taken can easily be estimated by its unimpressive appearance. It is so important for children to be surrounded by books that reflect their world, support their identity, and teach them about the most important values.
Therefore, the joy is all the greater to share with you that we officially opened the first community library for children and youth in Duadze village on December 9 with the blessing of the village chief, Nana Baah VII. It was not an easy process as we did not have a suitable building and the one that was already there needed complete renovation. Thanks to the incredible generosity of people with big hearts, our dream became a reality. The old building was demolished and a new space was created in its place - a library with 20 seats, including 4 computer workstations. Now books and new knowledge are at our fingertips and this makes us very happy. Thanks to the library, young people will have the opportunity to find information that interests them and to expand their horizons. This gives them an opportunity to use materials that are not available anywhere else and free of charge, to relax, have fun, acquire new skills and exchange experiences.
