By Namuli N. Racheal
The Rotary Club of Bwebajja today celebrated the International D.E.A.R Day (Drop Everything and Read Day) at Horizon Kids Center in Mpala, Entebbe under the theme “The Power of Youth in Co-creating Education.”
Rotary clubs across the world implement a number of community programs aimed at improving the lives of people in the communities they serve. These initiatives include supporting health services through blood donation drives, promoting hygiene through community clean-up activities such as Bulungi Bwansi, and improving education by constructing school structures and providing scholastic materials to learners, among others.
While celebrating D.E.A.R Day in Entebbe, the Rotary Club of Bwebajja, led by its president Hajji Hassan Nyenje, donated a number of textbooks and dictionaries to the school. The gesture was aimed at encouraging a strong reading culture among young learners and emphasizing the importance of knowledge acquisition at an early age.
Several members of the club also interacted with the pupils through storytelling, poetry recitals, singing, and dancing, creating an engaging and memorable reading experience for the children.
The headteacher of Horizon Kids Center, Davis Bonza, appreciated the Rotary Club’s initiative of giving back to schools. He called upon parents to promote a culture of reading among their children and urged communities to break away from the stereotype that Africans are not enthusiastic readers.
Speaking during the event, Nyenje emphasized that nurturing a reading culture among children at a young age equips them with knowledge, creativity, and critical thinking skills needed to compete in today’s fast-evolving world. He noted that consistent reading exposes children to a wide range of ideas, history, and essential life skills.
On behalf of the Rotary Club of Bwebajja, Nyenje reaffirmed the club’s commitment to continue supporting communities through similar initiatives as a way of strengthening fellowship and promoting sustainable development.
