Books as an investment for the future

Growing up, my lower primary teacher always highlighted how reading at least one-story book per week is important. The books were interesting for sure but the fact that reading was compulsory made it seem more of a duty and less as interesting. Therefore, when my teacher no longer expected the same anymore, I stopped reading. I lost interest in feeding my mind. For a long time, I read only to pass tests, or to get the latest information and updates. I know I am not just speaking for myself. This is a reflection of what happens to most of us whereby we have lost the very necessary personal relationship with books. We fail to nourish our minds. We forget that books are the visas to all kinds of knowledge, intelligence and wisdom. It’s through books that we can travel to any part of the world for free,  live through past times that occurred before our existence, and have a feel of the future while seated on that couch enjoying a warm mug of black coffee.

It is books that empower us with our history, the knowledge to create solutions and how to engage in useful conversations. During my ELF training on Pan-Africanism in October, an intelligent Jackson Bigambo mentioned that he had read 3000 books and still counting. He challenged me to adapt a reading culture. He spoke of the depth derived from the coloured pages and how the words jump into action to empower an individual. The beauty of books is that they exist for all of us- for those who love stories about historical heroes,  the magic of medicine, the art of business or the game of politics. There are books to accommodate all of our interests; found in both hard copy and soft copy.

So today I want to pose to you the Jackson Bigambo challenge; will you pick up that book, read the link to that blog, the constitution or the  newspaper and begin to nourish your mind?

An investment in knowledge pays the best interest ~ Ben Franklin

Submitted by

Faith Wachira

Secretary;ELF Cohort 5