READ SI – Never gives up!
DETERMINED to raise literacy and improve living standards in the country, READ SI is a committed NGO and also one of the newest in the nation.
It was started at the end of 2014 by Joyce Boykin, a former teacher at KG VI, Woodford International School and USP.
Joyce worked for MEHRD for two years and decided to put her energies into community education.
Joyce explains it this way.
“MEHRD is committed to improving formal education, which means in the schools.
“But what about all the people who want to learn to read and learn about things that are not in school or have never been to school.
“That is where my energies are and those are the people I believe will move development ahead.
“They are the mothers, fathers, youth and children who live in the villages.
“READ SI gets materials to them at easy reading levels (second grade) and many times in Pijin and English.
“Parent can really support their children’s education when they value it for themselves, too.”
She noted, “READ has created books in making money, keeping a family happy, making a healthier community, having activities for ECCE center and a picture book to show women has special they are.
“Once the books are printed they are sent to villages in containers marked Library.
“The four teams of Youth@Workwill be visiting about 50 villages in the next three months to share with the rural people how to use a library, form a learning group to use study the books and to become a village of learners.”
Through most of 2015, Solrice was the major sponsor giving funds for literacy training materials when READ partnered with World Vision and LASI giving trainings to teachers of village literacy classes.
In 2016, Solrice has been the major contributor to the printing of most of the books, along with assistance from Szetu Enterprises, ANZ, BSP and POB.
With the recent donation from the Malaysian Consulate, Youth@Work are funded to travel and teach for the next three months and then to revisit those same communities to continue to build relationships and assist in reviewing the books and the information given to advance community development.
READ also has a contract with the Ministry of Rural Development to act as a supplier of books from outside of the country.
Members of Parliament such as Jeremiah Manele, Namson Tran and Moffat Fugui have purchased books through Joyce Boykin for the schools in their constituencies.
SITCO has purchased over 1300 books for community libraries, too.
More and more people and organizations are coming together to help raise literacy throughout the Solomon Islands.
Several weeks ago, Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare declared he was a ‘Champion of Literacy’ and immediately requested literacy classes for his villages in Choiseul.
LASI will be sending staff for trainings at the end of September and then READ will provide materials for them at the beginning of next year.
“Together, we can all make a difference,” an enthusiastic Mrs Boykin stated.
