VIDEO: The New Times, Balton take reading campaign to Efotec

Kanombe SS Efotec has become the second school to benefit from a campaign dubbed, “Newspapers in Education,” that seeks to introduce learners to daily newspapers as learning aids. The campaign, spearheaded by The New Times Publications, was launched mid last month at Lycée de Kigali. Now students at Kanombe Seconday School/Efotec are also set to benefit from a partnership between The New Times and Balton Rwanda. The partnership deal, announced yesterday, allows students at the Kicukiro District-based school to receive copies of The New Times daily for a year. Video: Balton Rwanda subscribes 1800 copies for Kanombe Efotec. Source:The New Times/YouTube The campaign not only complements efforts to promote reading culture in the country but also adds a unique approach to teaching by going beyond traditional methods of education that involves classroom sessions and academic content. Monica Leonard Tumukunde, the Efotec head teacher, said the campaign was long over due. “This is one way to make young learners aware of the benefits of reading. Our students are not poor readers but mostly lack interesting and educative resources that can stimulate their curiosity. I believe newspapers can be the catalyst to improving reading culture,” Tumukunde said. Bob Gatera, the managing director of Balton Rwanda, said: “Balton is an agri-business company that believes in promoting agriculture and it is through promoting the reading culture that people, especially students, will know about agriculture.” Gatera said the impact can be from national to community level. “Through reading, young learners will realise that the biggest sector in the country is agriculture and the more we get people learning and practicing modern ways of farming in agriculture, the better, especially considering that it’s in line with the development goals of the country and this is what we want to achieve,” Gatera said. He added that the campaign will fill a big gap in education since it will equip learners with knowledge and information beyond classroom, so that once they get out in the field they can empower themselves with the knowledge and practice that they have learnt. He urged other corporate companies to use some of their resources to give back to the community by supporting a noble effort like reading campaigns. “When you have a population that is knowledgeable, there is always a multiplier effect in different ways. Supporting this initiative is one way to help young people realise their potential,” he said Balton Rwanda, one of the vanguards of the country’s growing agriculture sector through the introduction of modern technologies such as drip irrigation, greenhouses and soluble fertilisers, pledged to keep in touch with the school’s growing interest in farming through guiding and providing them with modern seeds as a way of boosting the students’ interest in agriculture. Flavia Uwase, a student, couldn’t hide her excitement when she received news that her school will be receiving TNT newspapers daily. “I love reading and availability of newspapers at my school will give an opportunity to update myself on what’s going on in the country. It is also an opportunity to access Education Times (a magazine published by this newspaper every Wednesday) which I consider resourceful to learners,” Uwase said. Students of Efotec read The New Times in their library yesterday. Gatera advised the students to love farming and promised to provide the school with more modern seeds. The students will occasionally pick some modern farming tips from The New Times.