BOOK WEEK EVENT AT BRIC LIBRARY

The BRIC Community Library for the first time hosted a National Book Week, which took place from 15^th to 20^th .October. The purpose of the event was to create understanding and promote the role and relevance of libraries to the community. Around ten schools (both primary and Secondary schools) were invited. Other participants included teachers, political leaders, community elders and the media.

Over seventy pupils and students from Mother Care P/S, Calvary Christian Foundation P/S, Rock P/S, Base camp P/S, Kasese High School and Kasese Secondary School participated in this event. The event was very colorful, students and pupils read different books and shared so many educative ideas like how they can improve the reading culture among Ugandans and Africans at large, and the different issues that are continuously leading to increased number of school dropouts in the Rwenzori Region.

They stressed factors that both government and some parents have failed to address that lead to the young generation to go astray from the expected path citing drug abuse as the biggest challenge. The pupils/students decried the low cost of some spirits (alcohol) especially the one sold in small tot packs for as low as 500sh, saying most of the children can afford it.

Corruption/embezzlement of public funds and the difficulty in accessing school fees loans from banks were also mentioned among the challenges frustrating development and education at large. The students blamed government for this increased flow of drugs/alcohol for failure to put in place strict laws to curb this danger. In their discussions, the students equally blamed parents for the limited support towards education programs and their children’s welfare. They mentioned that most parents do not give adequate scholastic materials and lunch/pocket money, forcing them students/pupils to look for alternative sources, which usually turn out to be dangerous.

Similarly, some parents fear to talk about certain things like sex and menstruation with their children. Therefore, the children end up stomaching the challenge/trauma on their own without guidance, which also consequently affects their performance in class and their self-esteem. Related to this, the students/pupils decried the failure of some parents to be exemplary; arguing that some parents are alcoholics, drug addicts, prostitutes and thieves who have no moral authority to caution or guide their children.

They appealed to parents to be more responsible when it comes to matters of their children’s education and welfare and to the Government to take children’s concerns more serious.  “If the government does not help the young generation, how will the next Uganda be,” remarked a primary four pupil from Mother Care Primary School.

With all said and done, the book week event was a very interactive moment for the students, pupils, teachers and all the other participants. A number of things were also learnt from the event;

1.     Young people learn a lot from

adults, and from their parents, therefore parents must strive to be

exemplary for the young generation to be better persons in

future.

2.     A good reading culture

can only germinate if his

present generation, attains

it and cultivates it in

their children who will also

 pass it on to the next

generation

3.     Greed and selfishness, usually called corruption needs to end with this generation, if Uganda is to develop and benefit the coming generations.     Conclusively everyone expressed gratitude to BRIC for hosting such a marvelous event where they had an opportunity of airing out issues affecting them in both education and social life.