By Dennis Ojwee

THE Social Organised Society (SOS) children’s village in Gulu district has opened a resource centre and library.

The programme coordinator, Anna Kipwola, said the cost of renovating the building, constructing book shelves, buying basic reading materials and a computer, amounted to over sh30m.

“The centre is the first of its kind in Gulu district. Services will be free of charge for the start. We will think of charging some fee with time,” Kipwola said.

Perris Nanfuka, 15, a Primary Six pupil at Gulu Public Primary School, said she was glad that SOS had thought of improving the reading culture of children in primary schools.

“I saw very good books that can help me pass my Primary Leaving Examinations if I read them. I will be coming to the centre everyday after classes,” Nanfuka said.
Officiating at the opening of the centre, the Pece LC3 chairperson, Geoffrey Otim, said many children in the Acholi sub-region lacked a reading culture.

He urged the parents to encourage their children to read right from their childhood.

The Gulu district education officer, the Rev. Vincent Ocen Oceng, asked SOS management not to charge for the services in order to attract children whose parents cannot afford to buy books.

The director of the centre, Charles Kiyimba, urged parents to send their children to the resource centre.

He said the children will also be taught basic computer skills to enable them use the Internet to get more knowledge.