KIGALI, September 30, 2022 – Minister of State in charge of Primary and Secondary Education, Hon. Gaspard Twagirayezu, officially closed a month-long literacy campaign that mobilised parents, school, and community leaders to secure and utilise safe spaces for children to learn and enjoy reading in schools, homes, and communities.

The event took place at Kigali Public Library organised in collaboration with education partners through Soma Rwanda initiative. During the event, this month's literacy champions were awarded, and participants toured Kigali Public Library activities including a children’s reading corner with print-rich materials and NABU, a private publishing house that publishes children’s digital books written by Rwandans.

Hon. Twagirayezu visited NABU, a private publishing house.

The campaign was launched Sept 8, 2022, in Munini Sector, Nyaruguru District, under the theme: Spaces for Reading aligned with the international theme: ’Transforming literacy learning Spaces and included a series of activities countrywide to promote the culture of reading and writing among Rwandans. Organised through Soma Rwanda initiative, the activities included organizing book fairs and reading sessions with children and patients in hospitals, media talk shows, webinars, visits to community libraries and distribution of books and other various reading materials. Others included, setting up reading schedules in homes, and introducing e-books and digital platforms like Habu and EKitabu to rural communities.

In his remarks at NLM closing event, Hon. Gaspard Twagirayezu said that the month has been an opportunity to reflect on the role of literacy in building more sustainable societies and therefore collective efforts to increase a reading culture in schools and communities should continue.

“Literacy is a foundational skill that all children need to succeed in their education and life. We should not spare any effort to ensure that our children can read at grade level, and this is not an impossible task to accomplish. We need to increase our efforts to ensure availability of appropriate and inclusive reading, training of literacy coaches and partners at all levels, and invest in improving our reading culture and pedagogy.”

Minister of State Gaspard Twagirayezu at the closing event (Photo: MINEDUC)

Soma Rwanda is a platform of different stakeholders including local civil society organisations, INGOs and donor agencies engaged in the promotion of literacy and learning. It is co-chaired by Ministry of Education and USAID, with Save the Children as the Secretariat.

Hon. Gaspard Twagirayezu reading a story for children (Photo: MINEDUC)

The best Literacy month champions were awarded (Photo: MINEDUC)

Children’s reading corner with print-rich materials, one of the Kigali Public Library exciting activities