By Correspondent
The preparation for the 2022 national observation of the International Literacy Day (ILD) concluded in Mandera East sub county setting the stage for the main ceremony to be held today, 8th September.
ILD is an annual event that takes place on September 8th of every year among UNESCO member states to raise awareness on the value of literacy as well as the need to build a literate community in all languages.
This year’s celebration will be observed under the theme, “Transforming Literacy Learning Spaces.”
Speaking in Mandera during a meeting on the preparedness for the event, Adult and Continuing Education Director Franklin Mugambi confirmed that the preliminary preparations had been concluded and the celebrations would proceed as planned.
“The national co-ordination committee in collaboration with the regional and county representatives has concluded the preparations and we expect the ceremony to be a success,” said Mugambi.
The hosting of the national celebrations is done on a rotational basis with a key focus on literacy index among Kenyan communities.
Mr. Mugambi said the choice of Mandera County to host this year’s celebrations was strategic for the improvement of literacy levels in the region. According to the Mandera County Integrated Development plan, approximately 70% of the county population is illiterate.
“We are guided by the Kenya Population and Housing Census report of 2019 which indicates that about 300,000 people aged 14 years and above in Mandera County have never attended school,” said Mugambi.
The global celebrations of the same event will be staged in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire. However, local celebrations will be observed in all the forty seven counties across the country. Around the world.
ILD is marked by a number of activities such as book donation to schools and community libraries.
