Volunteers from Selfless Fiji have started a book drive for Vunilagi Book Club that teaches children and youths of Nanuku informal settlement in Vatuwaqa to develop their literacy skills and get them out of poverty through education.
Selfless Fiji volunteers held a reading session with 45 children and youths from Nanuku and say it was evident that a lot of children have difficulty reading.
Founder Solomone Rabuli says the book drive initiative is an important initiative for their NGO as the aim is to fully support children to read.
Rabuli says children knowing how to read can help them build their knowledge on things taught in school and hopefully reduce school drop-outs as literacy is a major concern amongst children who are not able to cope in their formal education.
He emphasised the importance of children reading well as it is a part of their education and adds it helps children secure better career paths.
Meanwhile, Vunilagi book club volunteer Rokoiga Soweri says children had shown difficulty pronouncing simple English words when the club first began but over time, the same children have been successful in their exams, achieved high marks, joined private schools and even secured scholarships.
She says through the program, most children have shown confidence in speaking English well when asked to explain about the book they have read.
Soweri says this also builds their confidence in public speaking.
She further says most children are also taking ownership and are teaching others.
The NGO will be running the book drive throughout this month where people can donate books to Vunilagi Book Club or to Selfless Fiji.
To donate, you can go to Selfless Fiji’s website or visit Vunilagi Book Club’s facebook page.
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