The event brought together children, young people, parents, community members and other stakeholders to promote reading as both an enjoyable and beneficial activity, while highlighting the role literacy plays in improving educational performance, expanding knowledge and creating opportunities for lifelong learning.
The celebration featured reading sessions, a spelling competition and presentations on the importance of literacy. Students who have benefited from Unique Foundation’s remedial classes and skills-training programmes also shared testimonies on how the initiatives have contributed to their learning.
Speaking on the occasion, Solomon Ifeanyi Nathaniel, National Coordinator of Unique Foundation The Gambia, said the celebration was part of the organisation’s broader commitment to promoting a culture of reading and improving access to books for communities across the country.
“The main aim was to celebrate International Literacy Day with the local community while advocating for the importance of reading,” Nathaniel said.
He added that the event also sought to raise the profile of Unique Foundation and Book Aid International as advocates for literacy and increased access to reading materials in The Gambia.
Book Aid International is a UK-registered charity that promotes access to books and supports communities where quality reading materials are limited. Through its partnership with Unique Foundation, the organisation has contributed to efforts to strengthen reading and learning opportunities in schools and other educational institutions.
Nathaniel explained that Unique Foundation was established in 2014 and expanded its operations to Nigeria in 2023 under the name Unique Development Aid Foundation.
According to him, the Foundation has directly distributed more than 50,000 high-quality new books across The Gambia, benefiting lower basic, upper basic and senior secondary schools, as well as higher education institutions.
Among the beneficiaries are the Management Development Institute (MDI), the American International University and the University of Applied Science, Engineering and Technology (USET), formerly GTTI. Hospitals and nursing schools have also benefited from the book distribution initiative.
He said the Foundation’s partnership with Book Aid International, the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education through the Regional Education Directorate Region 2 West, and The Gambia Teachers’ Union has also resulted in the establishment of classroom libraries in under-resourced schools.
“Through the project, 30 classroom libraries were established in 10 under-resourced schools, reaching 17,482 children 56% girls and 44% boys. A total of 9,936 books were distributed and 30 teachers were trained in library management,” Nathaniel said.
He disclosed that the organisations are now preparing for a second phase of the initiative, which seeks to establish 40 additional classroom libraries in 20 primary schools across Region 2 West and Region 2 East.
“This event reflects our broader efforts to ensure that access to books and reading opportunities is not limited by where a person lives or their socio-economic circumstances,” he said.
The initiative, according to the organisers, is intended to help create environments where children can develop regular reading habits and have greater access to learning resources, particularly in communities where educational materials remain limited.
The Kerr Sering celebration therefore served not only as a commemoration of International Literacy Day, but also as a platform to showcase ongoing efforts by Unique Foundation and its partners to make books and literacy opportunities more accessible to children and communities in The Gambia.
