Despite the Covid-19 crisis, our Nyamata Reading Centre continued to experience growth. In October, we moved operations to a bigger and safe place across the street from the previous center.
“I am so happy because I can get books from our reading room.”
Before we moved, we held the reading center in a space we rented from a church. Over the years, we realized that this setup confused some parents and students, who thought the reading center could only be accessed by those who attended that church. At times the church’s schedule conflicted with that of the reading center, so some children could not attend.
A parent who recently started bringing her children to work on their reading at NRC said that she had hesitated to do so previously: “I thought only children whose parents attended church there were allowed to come and learn. I would have had them there much sooner had I known it was open to all.”
Before we moved, children who came to the literacy center had to cross an extremely busy street, which proved to be hazardous. By moving to the side where most of the children live, we have not only reduced the potential for traffic accidents, but also have provided the children with a much bigger space.The library looks welcoming, and the children love their time together. We are all so happy to be in our new place!
“I come because I can read; I enjoy singing and playing board games in English. Every time I return a book, they always give me another to take home!”
We are so grateful to all of you who made this move possible. Thank you!
The same month we moved, our new volunteer, Ernest, joined us. He helps with the growing number of children who come through our doors in search of books, story telling, and many other fun activities the children have loved through the years.
Below are some of the many comments from children and parents about how transformative our literacy services have been for both children and parents.
“My daughter now reads well, and she has helped me learn how to read. I don’t have to ask her to read my messages any more.”
Comment from one parent
In December, we will eagerly greet Mikayla Koerber, from Arizona State University. She will work with us at the reading centers to help the staff to hone our skills as we continue to serve the children around Nyamata. She will train us through teach-the-teacher activities that help our staff implement our shift to using phonics as a way to teach reading and writing in English.
