People of Mazane, an island located in Bugesera District, testify that they are going to get out of illiteracy and the feeling of loneliness after they are provided them with reading books by Edition Bakame.
Most of 1017 people living on Mazane Island are illiterate. Education on this island is very hard to afford due to its geographical isolation . Only 48 students managed to attend secondary school though none of them have finished. The one who reached the highest level of education is in Senior five.
‘When you finish primary school at the only one school we have, you are required to cross Rweru Lake for 3 hours and walk 13 km to reach the place called Batima where your find secondary schools” one of Mazane inhabitants says.
This is what pushed Edition Bakame local people with books to read . Two Thousand, one Hundred and twenty four Kinyarwanda written books (2124) equivalent to 2, 289, 500 Rwandan Francs.
Mukamusoni Azelle, a woman who is over 50 years old was very happy to holding a book in her arms told Umuseke that she does not know how to read because she did not study.
“I don’t know how to read. I’m simply looking at pictures in this book. Frankly speaking it is painful for me when I see others read.”
She hopes she is going to learn through those books and get out of illiteracy and isolation.
The management of Edition Bakame said they wish every young Rwandan should know reading. In her speech, Karangwa Speciose, the Director of edition Bakame emphasized that reading is a key to know and develop.
“When a children read, they try to imitate the heroism of some characters in text and they wish they should be alike or do better than them. Reading is the source of Knowledge” she said.
Being isolated, the Mazane inhabitants wish they should have access to education as all other Rwandans do.
The Executive Secretary of this Mazane Island said that those books are going to help them in contract performance in increasing the number of educated people as they were doing it without adequate learning facilities.
Jean Pierre MAZIMPAKA
UM– USEKE.RW
