ZAMPEN, reviving the reading culture
By DARLINGTON MWENDABAI
THE echoes of an eroding reading culture in Zambia have been heard loud and clear for so long to now summon a sense of urgency from the authorities to launch a campaign for its restoration.
Indeed, reading culture in Zambia and Africa in general, had putrefied since the advent of a civilised world where television and not books or old folks entertains homes.
With television invading many families’ living rooms, the Zambian society and many other African societies across the continent, have suffered an identity crisis due to the over exposure to television programmes which are mainly classified as being in bad taste on both local and private viewing channels.
Many Zambian adults would today tell you how they enjoyed sitting next to their grand parents near a glowing evening fire listening to folk stories or how their parents and teachers read story books to them and later asked them questions that tested their memories.
But in today’s world, the reading culture has no place as people engage in viewing movies and listening to music.
Even school-going categories tend not to appreciate reading as much as they prefer to download the school work from the Internet and hope to pass the exams without much studying.
The time for folk tales and story time has been replaced with outdoor activities such as house parties and such others.
However, Derrick Mpweto, a local Journalist and motivation evangelist recently told pupils at Tina Trust School in Lusaka’s Avondale that television dulls the mind while books activates.
Mr Mpweto said there was more information hidden in books than television and once one gets in the habit of reading, the books would direct the destiny of one’s life.
He said instead of engaging in reading activities, many pupils would rather listen to musicians such as 50 Cent and it is not surprising today to find young people dressing and walking like 50 Cent because they imitate his behaviour thought what they view on television.
Even so, Mr Mpweto said not all television programmes were bad but added that it was important that one made a wise selection on which programmes to watch and it would be ideal to engage parents for guidance.
He explained that Jesus as a boy was wise because he listened to old folks in the Temple and when his ministry started, he liked to teach using parables.
And ZAMPEN Centre president, Hector Banda, has urged the Government to enact into law the Book policy in order to revamp the eroding reading culture which had continued to have telling effects on the quality of education as many people lack the sense to engage in reading.
The Centre is an affiliate of International PEN writers, which promotes literature and other forms of writing to enhance the development of literary culture through poets, novelists, essayist, playwrights, critics and Journalists, among others.
The British Council in conjunction with ZAMPEN has put Zambia on the spotlight on literary talent by providing a platform for existing and upcoming writers to share their work and encourage a literary renaissance at quarterly reading evenings.
Mr Banda, who sits on the International PEN writers board Search Committee will be in charge of about 26 writers’ centres in Africa, noted in an interview in Lusaka that once the Book policy was put in place, Zambian literature would be rekindled and would in turn shape the destiny of the country in the right direction, socially and economically.
“We are urging the Government to reintroduce the Book draft policy that was drafted about 15 years ago to address all concerns of revamping the reading culture,” he said.
He said the draft policy tackled many pertinent issues that included how the ministry of Education would incorporate reading in school curricula and how writers were supposed to be rewarded through royalties once their works had been published.
He noted that the revolution of the television era had to some extent hindered the progress of reading not only in Zambia and Africa, but the world over where children were glued to television screens instead of reading books and listening to folk tales.
He said the Government needed to show political will that would pass the Book policy soon to avoid the ministry of Education from being bulldozed into the western curriculum that had nothing to offer in enhancing the eroding reading culture in Zambia.
In order to encourage Zambian writers, the Centre will soon produce its first sponsored book, written by Morgan Chipopu entitled, Normads: Tales from Africa, a collection of folk tales.
Other plans include opening a bureau equipped with latest technology facilities that would serve to generate income for the centre.
Meanwhile, Zambia had been nominated to host the 18th Standing conference of Eastern Central and Southern Africa Library and Information Association (SCECSAL) to take place in July 2008.
The decision for Zambia to host the region conference was arrived at the just-ended 17th SCECSAL held in Dar-es-Salaam from July 8-14, 2006.
Zambia Library Association (ZLA) chairman, Benson Njobvu, who was flanked by his vice chairperson, Hephians Hamakanda, confirmed in an interview recently in Lusaka.
Mr Njobvu said Zambia, which was presented by nine Librarians and information professionals, who included Mr Hamakanda and the ZLA secretary Muntinta Nabuyanda, also scooped the cultural night prize.
Mr Njobvu said SCECSAL urged its members to advocate for legislation that would encourage libraries to thrive and add value to the democratic process of countries in the region.
He said one of SCECSAL’s objectives was to encourage capacity building by promoting education and training of library and information professionals and to promote the adoption and use of information and communication technologies in library and information work.
He appealed to the Government, Non-Governmental Organisations and Libraries to support the hosting of the 18th SCECSAL conference in Zambia.
And the public during this year’s national library week has re-echoed the need for revamping the reading culture through the restocking of new books in most public libraries.
The theme for this year ‘Enhancing accountability and Transparency through information provision,’ was chosen to facilitate development and accountability in the promotion of equipped Libraries in Zambia and resound hope for Zambians to re-engage in the reading habit as before the advent of technology in form of putrefied TVs and Cinemas programmes.
However, for this goal to be attained, there is need for cooperating partners and business community to re-look at the deplorable state of most libraries in Zambia if the locals had to be knowledge and never left in darkness as far as information was concerned.
The Government had a big task to translate promises it have been reiterating over years for the need to revamp the reading culture because it has all the answers and everyone is watching to see if policies such as the education bill and other related documents to that effect would be implemented.
