The second edition of a reading competition, launched by the International Cocoa Initiative (ICI) in targeted cocoa-growing communities, lived up to expectations in Abengourou.
It is 9:30am on a Tuesday at Aniassué 3 Public Primary School (Abengourou), a school with 430 pupils. This morning, pupils and teachers are prepared for the big event — the finals of the second edition of the reading competition.
Four teams of three pupils, dressed in orange T-shirts, participate in a reading test from the ‘Boite à Livres’ (book box) in front of their classmates, parents, and a jury of four members. These inclusive teams, comprising one pupil from the preparatory class (CP), one from the elementary class (CE), and one from the middle class (CM), take turns reading paragraphs from a pre-selected text and summarising what they have read. Punctuation, intonation, harmony, and fluency are the essential criteria for marking.
To everyone's delight, and in front of proud parents, the winning team was announced and awarded a prize. “Most of the children who received awards are top of their class. We always ask parents to encourage their children to read,” says Christophe Kouakou Kouassi, Head Teacher at Aniassué 3 Public Primary School.
Several dozen kilometres away, to the delight of the teaching staff and in front of more than satisfied parents, the final took place the next day at the Kouadio Ekra Pascal EPP in the village of Nzébenou (Abengourou).
“My heart is filled with joy this morning. My youngest son, who is in Year 5, has made me proud. He won the reading competition,” exclaimed Monique Moa Koffi, a parent and cocoa farmer.
“ICI is doing excellent work. It has inspired us to organise similar competitions in several schools to raise the academic level of our children,” said Nda Kouassi, Primary School Inspector.
According to teachers and coaches, excellence is a result of perseverance. Maxime Amoa and his classmates understand this well. As members of the reading club, they have developed a passion for reading over the past few years. This is what made them the winners. “Every day, we read a text,” they say, a practice that helps them learn more.
ICI has established 48 reading clubs in schools within cocoa-growing communities through the ‘Notre Boîte à Livres’ association, with support from Nestlé. These clubs aim to encourage children to develop their reading skills, improve their academic results, and foster a culture of literacy. They form part of a commitment to strengthening educational initiatives in the region.
A recent assessment of the Boîte à Livres initiative revealed that borrowing books and attending weekly reading workshops significantly enhanced children's reading skills. At the start of the project, children in communities benefiting from the reading clubs had comparable reading skills to those in control communities. By the end, test results in the communities with the reading clubs were 12% higher than in control communities, confirming a notable improvement among children who participated in the activities.
To learn more about this innovative pilot, click here Boîte à Livres : des résultats encourageants pour renforcer les compétences en lecture | ICI Cocoa Initiative
