Groups Hold Spelling Bee and Reading Competitions for Rural Pupils

By Izunna Okafor

A non-governmental organisation, known as the Nigerian Information Professional Innovative Ambassadors Network (NIPIAN), in collaboration with Developmental Initiative for Technology and Empowerment (DEVITEM) and Anambra State Library Board has held a Spelling Bee and Reading Competitions for primary school pupils in the community of Ihembosi, Ekwusigo Local Government Area of Anambra State.

Known as a NIPIAN Project, the event, which drew participation of both pupils and teachers in the community, also saw the winners of the competitions smile home with mouthwatering prizes.

Speaking on the essence of the event, the NIPIAN Ambassador and organiser of the event, Mrs Ngozi Perpetual Osuchukwu who disclosed that the project was being sponsored by Goethe-Institute Nigeria and U.S. Embassy, in partnership with University of Abuja, further explained that the competition was aimed at encouraging reading and use of community library among the community children, which was in tandem with their mandate to choose and execute individual project in any community that will enrich the community and add value to people.

Mrs Osuchukwu, who is also a librarian and lecturer said, "We've been coming here every Saturday to do Saturday programs for Children; it is a public library service; so we've been coming here every Saturday to read, learn new things, sing and dance, because library is not just all about reading."

While noting that the Saturday program will continue, even after the competition, she also appreciated their collaborators and others who contributed in one way or the other to the success of the reading, even as she encouraged the students to keep reading. She also explained that there were 25 librarians across Nigerian who were selected for the project, and trained both online and offline. 

On her own part, the Director, Anambra State Library Board, Dr. Nkechi Udeze described the event as commendable and one that needs to be encouraged, sustained and emulated, owing to its enormous benefits to the children, the library, the community and the society at large.

Dr. Udeze, while encouraging the students to regularly visit the library and read as many books as possible in this summer holiday, also advised them to always learn new words, by noting them down and checking their meanings, correct pronunciation and other details of such words whenever they come across them.

Earlier in an interview, the moderator and judge of the competition, Mrs. Amaka Rose Alor, who is also a Librarian, rated the performances of the pupils above average, and observed that the oft mispronunciation of 'r' for 'l' and vise-versa in a word or sentence constitute a major problem to some of the pupils, even as she advised teachers and parents to always assist and give their wards enough time to learn. 

Speaking on behalf of the contestants, the overall winner of the competitions and eleven-year-old primary-five pupil of New Life Nursery and Primary School, Ihembosi, Master Godwin Chikamso said he was very elated to have emerged overall winner, even as he appreciated the organisers of the event, his parents and teachers for their support, and promised to keep reading his book.

The teacher to the overall winner, Mrs. Juliet Ejezie disclosed that the little boy also recently won a scholarship from Hon. Ugochukwu Ubah on their school's graduation day, after he correctly answered 30 questions on a stretch without failing any one. While assuring that she will continue to attend subsequent events organised by the library, further appreciated the organisers of the event for the initiative and for the gifts of books they gave to her school.

The event, held at Branch Library, Ihembosi, featured Spelling Bee and Reading competitions for pupils of upper primary classes, presentation of prizes and consolations prizes to the winners and all the contestants, distribution of exercise books and writing materials to all the participants, as well as distribution of Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionaries (10th edition) and story books to the participating schools, for their library use.