The winner of the Bookworm season 2 reality show (junior level), Uriel Prince Boateng Aryeetey has launched an initiative to help promote and inculcate reading habit in children particularly among the less privileged in the society.  

The initiative dubbed: “Uriel Foundation” seeks to reach out to every child, inspire, empower, encourage and inculcate in them good reading habits which is aimed at transforming them towards achievement of a brighter future.

Speaking at the launch, Uriel Prince Aryeetey, a primary 3 pupil of Convent Presbyterian School observed that his outfit envisions a nation whose children have enlightened minds through gaining access to good reading materials and developing the habit of reading widely.

He said: “our focus would aid every child to embrace the beauty in knowledge through inspiring, empowering, interactive reading programmes as well as donating good reading books to the less privileged as part of our program”.

“This inculcation act would not only enrich the minds of our future generation but would introduce an era of pure enlightenment for a good nation building”, Little Uriel humbly posited.

While commending the Bookworm Avenue Consult, the organizers of the TV reality show for the exposure and the opportunity to improve upon his reading skills, he quickly called on all benevolent organizations, corporate bodies and individuals to come to the aid of the foundation with donation to support its work in order to realize its objectives.

The colorful event which was graced by hosts of dignitaries spanning from the media space, academia, clergies and school children alike took place at the Covenant Presby Church Hall located at Dzorwulu in Accra.

In his address, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Bookworm Avenue Consult, Mr Nelson Kofi Poku lauded Uriel Prince Aryeetey for demonstrating outstanding reading performance which saw him crowned as the winner for the second edition of the Bookworm reading competition under the lower primary category.

While encouraging parents to help endeavor to enroll their children under the Bookworm Reading Competition to be educated, have their reading skills improved upon as well as be offered the platform to be recognized, he appealed to all children to always cultivate the habit of reading in order to excel and guarantee for themselves a prosperous future.

“I would like to encourage every parent out there to enroll their children under the Bookworm  program because I believe in terms of education, if you are able to read, you’ll be 50 percent done because no matter what the course you do, you need to read and understand it before you can get it better”.

When asked in an interview why his office chose to organize the contest, he said: “We’re focusing on basic 1 and 6 pupils because the idea came during the Covid-19 era where we’ve realized that the GES policies and instructions were in favor of the SHS and the JHS students but we believe that with education, when you catch the young ones then you can be confident and rest assured that you’re really building a future so Bookworm came to say okay the kids normally learn through watching television so when we attach the reality aspect of it to reading, it would make it exciting so we started by introducing this reality show”.

For his part, the Greater Accra Regional Director of the Ghana Library Authority, Edward Addo-Yobo expresses his outfit’s profound desire to support the Uriel Foundation to achieve its objectives.  

“I’m glad to say that we are very happy to be associated with the Uriel Foundation and we pledge our support to the foundation”.

“Also we want to say that, we want to invite Uriel to be on our prospective programs which we would be organizing in exchanges. We would expect him to read to the children and inspire them to also cultivate the habit of reading”.

While lauding Uriel Prince Aryeetey for excelling in the contest, he seized the opportunity to encourage his colleagues to emulate him in order to also become a winner.

He also appealed to them to strive to inculcate the habit of reading into themselves in order to make their lives better towards a brighter future.

Reflecting on the benefits of reading, Edward Addo-Yobo said: “Reading is not hard work, reading is fun. Reading helps to broaden your horizon. It helps you to build your vocabulary. It helps you to improve your communication skills so don’t think that when you have been asked to read, you’re being punished. Let’s take the joy of reading, children”.

 Mr. Addo-Yobo equally appealed to corporate bodies to support the foundation to see the realization of their vision become a reality.

Headmistress of the Dzorwulu Covenant Presby School, Evelyn Amoamah Antwi in her address at the launch reaffirms the school’s commitment to support the foundation in honour of Uriel Prince Aryeetey, the winner of the Bookworm reading contest season 2 who also doubles as a student of the school to flourish.

“As an educationist and someone who has worked with children for over 2 decades, I stand strongly for this foundation knowing very well the benefits of reading. Reading, according to Greater Gallatin, is the foundation for learning. If you cannot read, how can you learn? A child’s ability to read and comprehend is crucial in pursuance of academic excellence. It is with this regard that the host school is proud to be associated with the Uriel Foundation”.  

Mad. Evelyn Amoamah Antwi equally assured of the readiness of the District Minister of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, Dzorwulu, Rev. Erasmus Nii Bonne Odonkor, who pledges his full support towards the success of the foundation.

While congratulating little Uriel Prince Aryeetey for uplifting the school’s image and bestowing upon it an honour coupled with the introduction of his noble initiative, she urged the students to draw inspiration from the launch by ensuring their reading journey starts with immediate effect.

The inception of the Uriel Foundation became a reality on February 28, 2021 after Uriel Prince Boateng Aryeetey was adjudged the winner of the Bookworm season 2 reality show under the lower primary category.

The hotly contested contest which enjoyed a massive airplay on the GNTV junior channel including other social media platforms for a duration of 3-months witnessed 48 contestants in action representing the upper primary category while 15 children battled it out for the crown under the lower primary category.

Uriel Prince Aryeetey eventually beat the other 14 contestants to be adjudged the winner for the Bookworm season 2 under the lower primary category.

The Bookworm reality show is a reading competition being organized by the Bookworm Avenue Consult, an NGO dedicated to the promotion of kids’ education in the country in a bid to help nurture their habit of reading as a way of guaranteeing a brighter future for them.  

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By Joseph Kobla Wemakor