About

BOOKWORMS EMPOWERMENT FOUNDATION

OUR PHILOSOPHY

The philosophy stems from the truism that Reading is a fundamental skill and a gateway to lifelong learning, personal growth, and overall societal development and sustenance. It recognizes reading as a means to empower individuals to foster critical thinking, expand knowledge, and promote cultural understanding.

The Philosophy of the Foundation is centered around the belief that volunteerism is a powerful force for positive change in society. BEF recognizes the immense value that volunteers bring to communities and aims to support and enhance their efforts through: 

               Empowerment: BEF believes in empowering volunteers to make a difference in their communities. The Foundation provides resources, training, and guidance to help volunteers develop their skills and maximize their impact. By empowering volunteers, BEF aims to create a culture of self-sufficiency and sustainability in volunteerism to promote NRC.

               Collaboration: BEF recognizes that collaboration is key to achieving meaningful and lasting change. The foundation encourages volunteers to work together, fostering partnerships between individuals, organizations, and communities. By promoting collaboration, BEF aims to leverage the collective expertise and resources of volunteers to address complex social issues of NRC.

               Innovation: BEF believes in the power of innovation to drive social progress. The foundation encourages volunteers to think creatively and develop innovative solutions to address societal challenges. BEF supports and promotes initiatives that push the boundaries of traditional volunteerism, embracing new technologies, approaches, and ideas to foster NRC.

               Impact: BEF is committed to ensuring that volunteer efforts have a tangible and sustainable impact. The foundation emphasizes the importance of measuring and evaluating the outcomes of volunteer projects to assess their effectiveness. BEF strives to support initiatives that create long-term, transformative change in communities through NRC.

               Inclusivity: BEF believes that volunteerism should be accessible to all individuals, regardless of their background or circumstances. The foundation promotes inclusivity by actively engaging diverse groups of volunteers and ensuring that their voices are heard and valued. BEF aims to create an inclusive volunteer community that reflects the diversity of the societies it serves to enhance NRC.

Overall, the philosophy of Bookworms Empowerment Foundation is rooted in the belief that volunteerism has the power to transform lives and communities through NRC. By empowering, collaborating, innovating, and focusing on impact and inclusivity, BEF seeks to create a world where volunteerism is celebrated and supported as a catalyst for positive change. Reading is essential for personal, intellectual and social development, can be fostered through volunteerism.

OUR GOALS

The National Reading Culture Redemption Initiative (NRCRI) program has set goals as follows:

 

Increase literacy rates.

Cultivate a sustainable reading culture.

Enhance access to reading materials.

Encourage lifelong learning.

Foster a reading-friendly environment.

Collaborate with stakeholders.  

Measures and evaluates the impact of NRCRI.

 

1.    Increase Literacy Rates: The program aims to improve literacy rates of the spectrum of society, mainly targeting children, adolescents, underserved groups, and adults with limited literacy skills through targeted interventions and literacy support programs.

2.   Foster a Reading Culture: The program strives to promote a society-wide reading culture by celebrating the value and joy of reading. This involves raising awareness and generating enthusiasm for reading through campaigns, events, and community outreach initiatives and programs.

3.   Enhance Access to Reading Materials: The program strives to ensure that quality reading materials are widely available and accessible to segments of society. This includes expanding libraries, promoting digital libraries, establishing book distribution programs, and providing resources to marginalized communities. 

4.   Develop a Reading Support System: The programme seeks to establish a network of trained reading teachers and establish partnerships with relevant institutions and community organizations. 

5.   Promote Lifelong Learning: The program recognizes reading as a catalyst for lifelong learning. It aims to instil a love for books and learning in all compatriots, encouraging a habit of reading beyond formal education and fostering a continuous and professional development culture.

6.   Spreading Reading Initiatives: The program strives to create and sustain awareness of the vital place of reading in individual, community, and national spheres.

7.   Instil a Passion for Reading: Instil a passion for reading by creating a supportive environment that celebrates literature in all its forms. Create a national setting of READ-ON-YOUR-OWN (R-O-Y-O)

8.   Reading Programmes and Challenges: Implement reading programs and challenges at schools, libraries, and community centers. Set reading goals, organize literary events, and recognize achievements to create a culture of excitement and motivation around reading. 

9.   A Comprehensive Approach: Adopt a comprehensive approach that involves educational institutions, communities, families, and various stakeholders; it is possible to build and sustain a vibrant reading culture that contributes to enhanced literacy levels and a lifelong love for reading.                                                                  

10.   Evidence–based Approach: Activities are driven by relevant theories, research, and practice in real-time.

OUR ANTECEDENTS

OUR ANTECEDENTS: FACTS ON MARBLE

Before we metamorphosed into Bookworms Empowerment Foundation, we have been involved in many altruistic societal services.

We produced one thousand sets of a four volume Encyclopaedia of Mass Media and Communication from the scholarly presentations at two national conferences we conducted.

Some thousand copies of the Encyclopaedia have been donated and distributed to a good number of:

i.             Educational institutions in Nigeria. The project is still ongoing, those who have not had copies should apply for copies;

ii.            Professors of Mass Communication in Nigeria;

iii.           Researchers of Mass Communication in Nigeria;

iv.           Polytechnic Libraries;

v.            University Libraries; 

vi.           Members of the Nigerian Guild of Editors;

vii.          Individual scholars in different disciplines particularly Social Sciences;

viii.         State chapters of the Nigerian Union of Journalists; and

ix.           We have conducted workshops on writing and publishing scholarly publications for many universities starting with University of Ibadan, Ibadan.

We have donated books to many Universities, including:

i.             University of Ibadan, Ibadan 

ii.            Ambrose Ali University, Ekpoma

iii.           Kola Daisi University, Ibadan

iv.           Dominican University, Ibadan

v.            Iyamo University, Uzairue

vi.           Westland University, Iwo.

Academic Sponsorship: We have sponsored over 45 undergraduates and postgraduates on various programmes in Nigeria.  Some of them are now holding key positions in establishments in Nigeria and abroad.

In 2023, the Foundation donated a spacious Ten-Room Story building for a Community Literacy Center, at Adonai Estate, Alapata Community, Ojoo, Igbo-Oloyin Road, Ibadan.

We welcome partnership. Join hands with us and serve the nation unequivocally. 

MISSION & VISION

MISSION

The mission of the national reading program is to promote reading as a central pillar of personal and national development by fostering a culture of reading, ensuring access to quality reading materials, providing literacy support, and instilling a love for books and lifelong learning in individuals of all gender, ages, ethnic and religious affiliation, and educational level. To foster a passion for reading, improve literacy rates, and enhance individuals' overall well-being and development through a comprehensive National Reading Culture.

VISION

The vision is to create a society where reading is valued, embraced, and accessible, resulting in increased literacy rates, improved educational outcomes, and more informed and engaged compatriots. To be at the forefront in the creation of a nation of avid readers and promoters of a strong reading culture.