K15,000 donated for Book Week celebration

Gulf Investment Trust Fund (Gift) has given K15,000 to the Office of Library and Archives to support the hosting of National Book Week in Kerema.
The National Library and Archive will launch Book Week with a donation of K30,000 worth of books, with each school taking part getting K2000 worth of books.
“Gulf has no library to encourage reading for government department, community and locals that illiteracy was high,” Gift business development manager Paul Apio said.
He said according to a national rating Gulf had the worst education standard in the country.
“Book week will be an historic moment for the province where it would introduce reading and literacy skills for the first time after many years,” he said. “On behalf of management and trustees of Gift, I present this donation to support the programmes during the Book Week.”
The donation was received by the director general of the Office of Library and Archives Kakaito Kasi.
“Introducing reading and improving literacy skills will be one of the main targets in the Book Week programme,” he said.
“Reading would begin with the distribution of books to all levels of education from elementary to secondary schools.
“The Office of National Library and Archives would also participate in the reading programmes and dramas to promote reading during the week-long event.
Staff from the National Library and Archives would use the week to visit schools, the provincial headquarter and districts to support the event and work towards the setting up of a provincial library next year.
“We train the school librarians and teacher in charge of the library and we continue to promote reading in primary, elementary and secondary schools,” he said.
He said with support from the Education Department and the Gulf government, a library programme was being rolled out in Gulf.
The National Library and Archives has a kina-for-kina programme where a school which has raised K2000 will get K4000 worth of library books.