The Ghana Association of Writers (GAW) has shared that while the 2021 Budget statement did not explicitly capture their needs, it is never too late for the Government to show any financial commitment now.
National Organizer of the Ghana Association of Writers, Araba Taylor Darko in an interview with Samuel Eshun on the Happy Morning Show explained that due to lack of funds, the Association has been unable to undertake reading and writing projects for its development as well as schools in the country.
“We want to be able to afford to give writers training on how to write, give them free workshops, distribute some of our members’ books to schools that have reading clubs and give such things like that. But if we don’t have the funding then it is like a lose-lose situation.
We have the GAWU schools outreach programme where we were going around the schools, talking to the students to set up reading clubs within their school. But because of COVID-19 and the lack of capital, some of these things have had to be put on hold, so if Government will support the Writers Association, definitely we will do a lot more to improve on the reading and participation of children”.
Araba also observed that due to the short period of time spent in schools, children do not get the chance to engage in extracurricular activities such as reading and debate activities.
“If you engage the teachers in these things, they expect something for their time because they are not being paid for that. These are all now extra things whereas previously it was part of what you did in school.
We will be so much grateful if Government sends money our way and then we can set up proper editors within the Association because they have to be paid”, she added.
By: Alberta Dorcas N D Armah
