Foundation debuts to get children reading

ALTHOUGH children within the age bracket of zero -five years are highly receptive to sounds, given that they can recognize the voice of their parents and caregivers, there is regrettably no serious programme for their cognitive development in Nigeria. The resultant effect is the recent high level of radicalism, delinquencies and other criminal tendencies in the country.

However, to bridge this gap is a family literacy initiative, the Charles Suoares Obiorah Foundation (CHASOF), which seeks to establish imagination library for children. Under the programme, each child gets a book every month addressed to them, which is read to their ears by parents or volunteers.

According to one of the facilitators, Mrs. Victoria Nkechi Osadebe, the foundation is determined to see a change in children development in Nigeria.
The idea, she said is to expose children to reading by introducing them to books at the early age.

The foundation, she said, was borne out of a passion for humanity, as well as to immortalize the memory of her late brother, Charles Obiorah, a loving and caring father, uncle, husband and son who lost the to cancer in 2007 at the age of 42.

“Our aim is making books the first toy of a child to touch just like feeding bottle. For us, we believe only informed children can address the societal problems of the next generation in a country with developmental challenges,” she said.

Also speaking on the programme, a United Kingdom-trained youth development expert, Mrs. Patricia Uwajeh, said they were motivated by passion to change the society starting from the cradle.

She said: “There is need to catch them young. The programme will promote volunteerism, as volunteers will be sent to families to read for children.”

CHASOF Imagination Library, an affiliate of Dolly Parton foundation, promotes family literacy by gifting free books to children aged zero-five.

The programme is designed to inspire early love for reading in children right from birth year thereby laying early foundation that will help them reach their full potential.

By giving kids free books and introducing them to reading or listening to books being read to them, we are laying a foundation for early reading culture revolution in Nigeria.

The foundation also boasts of credible Nigerians as trustees, which include Mr. Emeka Izeze, Dr. Titus Obiorah, Prince Toye Oyinlola, Chief Peter Iyigbu and Bruce Uwajeh.