MUKAH : Some 100 Reading Seeds Kits were distributed to the patients at the Mukah Distict Hospital and Kuala Oya Health Clinic, yesterday.
The event was organised by Pustaka Negeri Sarawak(State Library) in collaboration with the Ministry of Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development, State Health Department and Sarawak General Hospital. It was officiated by Minister of Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development, Dato Sri Hajah Fatimah Abdullah.
The kits were also presented to mothers at the maternity wards and patients of the two health centers. Speaking to the press after the event, Fatimah, pointed that it was vital for the community to inculcate the seeds or habit of reading to the children at the earliest age possible and even when they are still in the womb.
“Early intervention is vital to inculcate the reading habit. It should start from both the parents. Normally the bond between the parent and child is very close and intimate especially in regards to sound of voices the child is familiar with,” she said.
And besides it, she said, the children are very receptive to any kind of input at the early age, and that should be well-exploited by us to equip them with good information especially the knowledge related ones. Hence, she thanked and praised the effort undertaken by Pustaka to spearhead the programme to the community especially in the effort of producing a lifelong learning human capital and society.
Fatimah also stressed on the importance of breast feeding among the mothers and said that an exclusive six-month breast feeding should be made as mandatory for the mother.
Salina, who also spoke at the function revealed that Reading Seeds programme is a continuation of the Born to Read Programme which was organised by Pustaka Negeri Sarawak since the year 2004.
“And this Reading Seeds is a rebranded and improvised version of the Born To Read programmei. Reading Seeds programme is to promote literacy in the early stages of a child’s life.
Through this programme, parents too play an imperative supporting role in the efforts to develop reading culture in the family and eventually increase the level of literacy among all levels of society,” she said.
Also seen at the function were Pustaka Negeri Sarawak Miri Regional Manager, Hajah Salina Haji Zawawi, Mukah Divisional Health Officer, Dr Haji Osman Haji Rafaie, Mukah District Hospital Acting Director, Dr Nor Iryani, and Mukah Hospital Visitors Board Chairman, Haji Jamil Hji Othman.
