[Ghana] First Digital Mobile Library Established

TIGO Ghana, the mobile network operator, has made a giant step towards digital inclusion for children in rural Ghana with the establishment of a mobile digital library.

The project is in a partnership with Street Library Ghana, Hayford Shaw founded in 2012.

Head of Corporate Communications and Corporate Social Responsibility for Tigo, Gifty Bingley, explained that Hayford was previously travelling around rural Ghana with hard copy books in his mini-van to encourage children to read.

“With this innovation we have taken the project a step further, we have digitized the books, they will also have a hands-on experience with the computers and the digital experience will be the same for every community we visit,” she said.

The Chief Executive Officer for Tigo, Roshi Motman, encouraged other Tigo Changemakers like ‘Tech needs Girls’ and ‘IT4Teens’ to step up and partner with Street Library and offer ICT training in software and web applications for the children.

“Children in rural Ghana will be the ultimate beneficiaries of this pioneering project. It will go a long way to support digital inclusion,” Shaw said.

He added, “Even though children in rural Ghana study ICT as a core subject, several of them have neither seen nor touched a computer. I look forward to introducing them to the computers and going through the downloaded books.”

The project has the interior of a van fitted with tables and chairs and laptops. It also has additional tables and chairs and laptops which can be set up outside the van to cater for additional children.

Street Library Ghana is nonprofit social enterprise that responds to educational needs of vulnerable children in Africa by providing sustainable literacy, cultural resources and personal development. Incorporated in 2012, Street Library Ghana's mission is to raise the youth literacy rate among children in under-resourced rural communities.

www.tigo.com