In pursuance of its mission to uplift the lives of the communities in which the United Bank for Africa (Plc) operates, UBA Foundation’s initiative, Read Africa is visiting schools in African countries to encourage young children embrace the culture of reading.

Read Africa is an initiative of UBA Foundation geared at rekindling the dwindling reading culture amongst African youths. Conceived and introduced in 2011, by the Foundation, the project involves the provision of recommended Literature for junior and senior secondary school students across the African continent.

This year, the foundation has selected the book The Fishermen by Chigozie Obioma as one of the books that will be distributed to children on the continent. The Fishermen is a tale of four brothers growing up in the ’90s in Akure, Nigeria and the secret that bound them together.

Acting CEO, UBA Foundation, Bola Atta visited the C. William Brumskine Elementary School in Monrovia to introduce The Fishermen to a delightful group of young students with hopes and aspirations for the future. As she read passages of The Fishermen to the children, she told them: “We at UBA Foundation are eager to better the lives of people across the continent. I am here to tell you a bit about the importance of reading and how it can change your lives dramatically. Reading will encourage you to dream; it will broaden your knowledge, your vocabulary. You can read yourselves into very successful careers in the future.”

•Group Head, Marketing and Corporate Communications, United Bank for Africa, (UBA) Bola Atta, reading to pupils of C. William Brumskine elementary school, Monrovia, during a visit to the school as part of UBA Foundation’s Read Africa initiative.