by Tusi Tala, Staff Writer<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Children in Vanuatu will soon see themselves represented in literature, with new books likely addressing themes of climate change and natural disasters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A hundred new titles will be crafted by local authors, resulting in over 8,000 copies that will be distributed to children in remote areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The initiative, named ‘Library for All,’ has recently launched and aims to have the new books available to children within 14 months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Polly Banks, the country director for the organization, emphasized that these books will reflect the lives of Vanuatu’s children rather than merely offering a glimpse into other cultures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She noted that while a child might enjoy a story about Paddington Bear in London, such tales do not foster a sense of identity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to data from the Pacific Islands literacy and numeracy assessment, 79 percent of year four students in Vanuatu do not meet the regional minimum reading standards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“There are many factors contributing to this issue,” she explained, “but a significant one is the scarcity of relatable reading materials. Research indicates that it’s crucial to have both ‘window’ books and those that reflect children’s own experiences.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The books will be inspired by the creativity of local writers, with the organization facilitating workshops that focus on climate and natural disaster themes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Katherine Kasso, the program manager for Library for All in Vanuatu, stated that the project aims to “inspire a new generation of readers and thinkers” in the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“We are equipping children with the necessary tools to realize their potential and create a brighter future for themselves and their communities,” she added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kasso will lead the writing workshops and collaborate with the publishing team to ensure the books authentically represent life in Vanuatu, with each book undergoing a selection process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once published, the books will also be available on a free reading app.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Church of Latter Day Saints is contributing NZ$450,000 to support this initiative.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
by Tusi Tala, Staff Writer Children in Vanuatu will soon see themselves represented in literature, with new books likely addressing themes of climate change and natural disasters. A hundred new titles will be crafted by local authors, resulting in over 8,000 copies that will be distributed to children in remote areas. The initiative, named ‘Library…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":407,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[42],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-406","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pacific-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pacificislands.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/406","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pacificislands.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pacificislands.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pacificislands.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pacificislands.news\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=406"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/pacificislands.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/406\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pacificislands.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/407"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pacificislands.news\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=406"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pacificislands.news\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=406"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pacificislands.news\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=406"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}