Kids are kids, no matter where they are in the world. But their lives can look very different depending on where they live.
In places like Kenya in Africa, for example, children like to spend their free time playing soccer – but not in the same way as in the United Sates. In Kenya, kids use any round object they can find (even small rocks) as a ball. For a soccer field, they’ll often use any dirt patch they can find in their town or village.
In the states, kids get sweaty faces running around grassy city parks. In Kenya, kids get sweaty faces hauling buckets of water from community wells to their homes.
In the states, kids get time off from school during holidays. In Kenya, kids are often out of school for months at a time when teachers go on strike after the government fails to pay them. That is one reason why providing books to these kids is so important.
Children in Africa typically only attend school for four hours a day. Some of them must walk 3 miles or more to get to their school. And in many villages, those “schools” are little more than a bunch of wooden benches surrounded by a thatch wall.
The government spends less than 12% of its budget on education (less than half the percentage of comparable countries). The government often fails to pay its teachers, leading to months-long teacher strikes. As a result, 43% of the population is illiterate and less than 25% of students in Africa complete high school. In fact, the average person in Africa has only six years of formal education.
Strengthens Brain Activity
Reading gets your mind working across different areas. For starters, it involves comprehension to process the words you read. Beyond that, you can use your analytical abilities, stimulate memories, and even broaden your imagination by reading words off a page.
Boosts communication skills
Both reading and writing work to improve one’s communication skills. That’s why if you’re looking to become a better writer, many of the suggestions that you come across will include reading more. Reading can open your eyes, literally and figuratively, to new words.
Helps Self-Exploration
Books can be both an escape and an adventure. When you are reading, you have the opportunity to think about things in new ways, learn about cultures, events, and people you may have never otherwise heard of, and can adopt methods of thinking that help to reshape or enhance your identity. For example, you might read a mystery novel and learn that you have a knack and interest in solving cases and paying attention to clues.
Entertains
It’s no wonder why you may see people reading by the pool, on the beach, or even on a lazy Sunday afternoon. Reading is a form of entertainment that can take you to fictional worlds or past points in time.
Imparts Good Values
Reading can teach values. Whether you read from a religious text or secular text, you can learn and teach the difference between right and wrong and explore various cultural perspectives and ways of life.
Enhances creativity
Reading has the potential to boost your levels of creativity. Whether you read about a specific craft or skill to boost it or you are reading randomly for fun, the words could spark new ideas or images in your mind. You may also start to find connections between seemingly disparate things, which can make for even more creative outputs and expressions.