A reading nation is a leading nation; as it possesses conscious, organized and well equipped citizens. As human capital is a crucial element of nation building, governments invariably work to cultivate youth with reading culture beyond an academy.
Reading culture is defined as “an integrated pattern of reading behaviours, practices, beliefs, perceptions and knowledge.” Also it means “a culture where reading is part of the people’s living and constitutes a habit that is shared by members of the society.” The reading culture in African nations is viewed by many scholars as one way of “boosting students’ to academic excellence and lifelong learning” (Olasehinde, Akanmode, Alaiyemola, & Babatunde: 2015).
Reading is a mind meal that shapes and reshapes our perspectives, while youth is a vibrant energy with knowledge hunger and potential to transform reality. Thus, cultivating reading culture often lists among the top priorities of nation building programs. It fosters a consciousness, united, well-informed, skilled, resilient and self-reliant youth in particular and society in general.
Reading is the source of unity. Unity is not about becoming perfectly one. It is the process through which diversified outlooks are entertained with tolerance. When some ideas come closer to a common point of view, others remain to be respected or tolerated. Tolerant attitude is the core ingredient of unity. Reading provides an opportunity where diversities can share their beauties with one another. It is one of the many smooth and effective methods to inculcate national identity, but only on the condition where literacy and reading culture is well promoted.
Eritrea is a state with nine ethnic groups. Every one of them has the beauty that defines the Eritrean identity. Here, reading helps all the diversities share their respective cultural wisdom and brings them together to the collective identity. Therefore, a reading nation is a unified nation with political stability, economic prosperity and social progress. In reverse, a nation which suffers from illiteracy and poor reading habits is overwhelmed with a myriad crisis.
A reading nation is a healthy nation. Reading is a mental exercise which makes our body healthy. It can lower our blood pressure and heart rate when the moment we read pictures out our stresses and calms our mind (Jenna Heinz: 2021). Reading as it exposes us to various life experiences, the possibility to find solutions is wide open, as a counselling agent and combating force to our challenges. Through this and other means, reading makes citizens get healthy and reduces high national health budget expenses.
Reading and human capital are so much complimentary. A human capital which lacks reading habits can not achieve development. When we come to the definition, human capital is “a concept or the education, skill levels, and problem-solving abilities that will enable an individual to be a productive worker in the global economy of the twenty-first century.” In addition, it is also “a human capability and productivity engendered through knowledge and skills from vocational and technical education, training and experience and facilitated by an environment.” ((Olasehinde, Akanmode, Alaiyemola, & Babatunde: 2015)
According to the Eritrean national charter, human resources has a decisive role in nation building. Therefore, to foster a conscious, organized and well skilled human capital, the government has made education free for all, from pre-school to college level. In return, every July we can notice every institution graduate their pupils with colourful celebrations. However, this is not where the confidence stands, it demands a reading habit through which graduates can often upgrade their personal development. Otherwise, they will be like furniture that decays every minute and pulls back a nation to a mud of misery.
A reading mother is the architect of the future. The intimacy she has with her child marks her as everyone’s lifetime teacher. It is her determination that shapes her child’s attitude and future life. To raise a disciplined and intelligent child, reading is crucial. Albert Einstein once said, “If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales.
Eritrean reading culture has been fluctuating generationally. Historically, before and during the federation period reading mood was high due to the hot political situations of the time and the process to protect federal rights. In the annexation period, the burning of local language written books, closing of local newspapers and replacement of local languages in the academy with Amharic dwindled the habit to its lowest level.
The armed struggle protected and revived the habit along the freedom torch. Literacy campaigns were extensively executed in the liberated and semi-liberated areas. Different magazines were written to create and up the level of national consciousness of freedom fighters and the people.
In the early period of the independence, the reading habit got better. Later, due to the external aggressions and intensive hostilities that slowed the speed of the nation building process, the reading habit descended. Some initiatives took place to revive this mood, yet they were not much impactful. It entails everyone’s engagement, especially the diaspora communities to encourage writers and bring readers to a common plate.
Thus, a reading nation is a leading nation. When education is free for all, libraries are well built and equipped, books are well distributed in fair price and associations of readers and writers are found. So let’s all, especially the Eritrean youth cultivate reading culture to build our nation in a rapid, smooth and sustainable way.
Written by Kidane Shimendi