Making ‘Kids Read’

Kids Read, a fun new initiative aimed at encouraging reading for pleasure among primary schoolchildren inside and outside the classroom, was launched on Saturday at the St Joseph’s Convent School in Karachi.
The other school participating in the activity was the St Paul English High School. The programme, sponsored by the HSBC Bank Middle East Limited and affiliates, has been developed by the British Council to give as many kids as possible the opportunity to read and help awaken their enthusiasm to read by making it enjoyable and accessible.
After successful implementation in the Middle East, the HSBC and the British Council are now launching it in Pakistan with an aim to expand it further not only in Pakistan but across South Asia. The programme involves a variety of school activity alongside public activity through community events.
The formal launch of activities, in which children enthusiastically engaged in, included a storytelling session by Wendy Arnold, a renowned writer and advocate of children’s fiction and poetry.
After her high-energy storytelling session, Arnold said, “What the HSBC and the British Council are endeavouring to create in Pakistan is a reading culture amongst schools and families. I am delighted to play my part in this wonderful initiative.”
Francis Campbell, the British deputy high commissioner and chief guest at the event said, “The importance of English language as a tool for communication and knowledge is being recognised worldwide. We congratulate the British Council and the HSBC in bringing this extraordinary initiative to the children of Pakistan. Reading not only strengthens their ability in English language, but will open up their minds to a world of creativity, culture, imagination and understanding – and increases their potential for academic success.”
The HSBC will play a critical role in the success of the programme. Not only are they funding the programme but their staff are taking an active role in the project as volunteers supporting teachers, families and children in exploring the exciting world of reading.
“We are committed to investing in the community with a specific focus on education and community development. Kid’s Read is a project that resonates with our corporate sustainability philosophy of working with children and capacity building in the education sector and is being rolled out across 13 countries in the Middle East and North Africa. We are happy to be associated with the British Council and are confident that heir professionalism, experience, and expertise will allow this sort of programme to have the desired impact”, said Lloyd Maddock, CEO of the HSBC Pakistan. “We are also proud of our fellow colleagues at the HSBC who volunteer to make a difference where they live and work by contributing their time and skills to various projects.”
Mashhood Rizvi, British Council Director for Sindh and Balochistan said, “Kids Read is cultural relations at its best, in that it combines UK and Pakistan’s expertise in English teaching and language development to encourage young boys and girls to read and to empower them to spread the love of reading in their communities.”
The British Council has also developed several English language learning websites for students, teachers, professionals that have a wealth of material and activities.