There is a need for collective efforts to address the shortage of reading materials in schools and communities, said Gaspard Twagirayezu, the Minister of State for Primary and Secondary Education.

Twagirayezu made this call on September 30, at Kigali Public Library (KPL) during the official closing of Literacy month which was officially launched on September 8, along with the Literacy day celebration.

Twagirayezu pointed out that there is progress with reading and writing culture, however, there is still a need to do more.

He pledged continued government partnership with stakeholders to improve literacy countrywide.

"It is very important that we work hard together to transform the learning spaces in our homes, communities, schools and all others, to ensure that they’re inclusive, safe, and stimulating for literacy development,” he said.

The government will keep on supporting that journey and ensure the availability of enough well-written and updated reading materials, Twagirayezu noted, as he encouraged parents to help their kids to curb illiteracy in general.

The literacy month included various activities such as mobilising parents, schools, and community leaders to secure and utilise safe spaces for children to learn and enjoy reading in schools, homes, and communities.

Other activities conducted were book fairs and reading sessions with children and patients in hospitals, media talk shows, webinars, visits to community libraries, and distribution of books and other various reading materials, Patrick Musafiri, the Soma Rwanda secretariat, revealed.

Others comprised setting up reading schedules in homes, and introducing e-books and digital platforms to rural communities.

Musafiri said that the month has ended but the activities to promote literacy will continue by raising awareness of reading culture and making reading materials available and accessible to everyone, as well as advocating for the low cost of books among others.

Furthermore, he said that there is also a plan to increase community libraries noting that so far there are 72 which are still very few.

The closing event involved a tour of KPL activities including a children’s reading corner with print-rich materials. Present delegates also toured NABU, a private publishing house hosted inside the library that publishes children’s digital books written by Rwandans.

During the event, two people were awarded for their outstanding participation during literacy month.

Awardees were Placidie Mukanyarwaya, 58 year-old who lives in Munini Model Village in Nyaruguru district, alongside eight-year-old Lesly Lilou Atete Musoni.

Speaking to the media, Mukanyarwaya said though she still faces the issue of accessing Kinyarwanda books, she took the initiative to help children in her village to promote the reading and writing culture and her goal is to see them being awarded at national level.