World Book Day: Creating books, strengthening skills and inspiring imagination
The transformative power of books
Nobel Prize winner for Literature, Orhan Pamuk said, "I read a book one day, and my whole life was changed.” This simple yet profound statement captures the power that a book can have in a person’s life.
Books invite us into worlds we would not otherwise be able to experience. They transport us through time and space, into places where the seemingly impossible can become possible, and where dreams can become reality.
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Unfortunately, many of the children that World Vision works with do not have the opportunity to read – or even touch – books. There are many reasons for this, including:
- Books do not exist in a language that they can read in
- Children do not have the reading skills necessary to read the print or understand what they're reading
- Children have been prevented from developing a love of reading due to other responsibilities
World Vision works with parents, teachers and community leaders to address these issues – by developing relevant teaching and learning materials that support children so they can learn to read.
Above: Emily Wallace, Learning Materials Coordinator, and Paul Diatta, Regional Education Advisor, West Africa Region, demonstrate a read aloud activity during a regional materials creation workshop in West Africa.
“When an old man dies, a library burns”
Over the past year, World Vision's West Africa Region has created an abundance of locally relevant reading materials. Over 200 book titles in local languages have been developed for early readers.There are plans for increasing this number dramatically over the coming months.
"Books – especially locally developed resources – are key materials for learning.” - Amos Dembele
"There is a saying in Africa: 'When an old man dies, a library burns,’” said Amos Dembele, World Vision Mali’s National Quality Education and Life Skills Coordinator. “Indeed, this thought has been of some truth because the transmission of knowledge has traditionally taken place orally in Africa. However, with the advent of the written tradition, knowledge is henceforth written in books. Books – especially locally developed resources – are key materials for learning.”
Encouraging children to read on World Book Day
On World Book Day, we want to encourage the continued development of reading materials that are in languages children understand, to encourage children to read and enjoy what they are reading, and to support the development of a larger reading culture.
Encourage the children in your life to read – today and every day!