OTJIWARONGO—Hundreds of learners, teachers, and parents gathered on Monday in the Otjozondjupa Region to celebrate the launch of readathon week, an annual event aimed at fostering a culture of reading among students and educators. The event, held at Mokati Sports Stadium, featured a series of cultural performances, including drama, storytelling in various indigenous languages, and poetry.

According to Namibia Press Agency, Deputy Minister of Education, Arts and Culture, Faustina Caley, inaugurated the week with the announcement of this year's theme, "Read Namibia: Discovering the Strength of Arts and Culture Through Reading." Caley emphasized the impact of reading on enhancing critical thinking, increasing mental vocabulary, and stimulating a greater interest in reading. "The primary goal of this week is to activate a reading culture and instill a lifelong desire to read more books by our teachers, learners, and parents," she stated.

The event also saw participation from schools across Otjiwarongo, Okahandja, Otavi, Grootfontein, and Okakarara. Christopher Tjivikua, Deputy Education Director, echoed the Deputy Minister's sentiments, urging learners and teachers to diversify their reading and enjoy books from different genres to broaden their mental horizons. He also called on libraries to enrich their collections with a wide range of reading materials to support this initiative.