ZODML and Stanbic IBTC Celebrate International Literacy Day 2014

In celebration of International Literacy Day, the staff of Stanbic IBTC Bank came to the ZODML Community Library September 8, 2014 to meet with students and discuss Chimamanda Adichie’s award-winning novel Half of a Yellow Sun and more.
Following introductions by Ame Okwudi, Corporate Social Investment Manager for Stanbic, and Chiagozi Diala, Projects Coordinator for ZODML,  Ifeoma Esiri, ZODML’s CEO, spoke about the theme of this year’s Literacy Day which is ‘Literacy and Sustainable Development’. She encouraged the students to inform others about International Literacy Day. The discussion of Half of a Yellow Sun was led by Okwudi. One of the students, Thelma Eze, explained that the book focused on the Nigerian Civil War: “There was political and ethnic struggle at that time and the Igbos wanted to carve out a nation for themselves. They wanted to break away from Nigeria to become the Republic of Biafra.” After discussing the novel’s characters and motives, Okwudi read the third chapter of the novel to the students.
The students also had the opportunity to ask questions, which they eagerly took up. They asked about the history of Stanbic IBTC, and sought advice for the aspiring poets amongst them, as well as how best to continue reading books and writing in spite of the distractions of technology. The last question was met with a variety of suggestions, from forming a book club (an initiative ZODML is pursuing to support our BookCorners at state secondary schools) to taking inspiration from Adichie and persisting with creative endeavours.
ZODML is grateful to Stanbic IBTC for its support of our goals of developing literacy and a love of reading amongst Nigeria's youth. Earlier this year, the company partnered with us on our Book Drive project to open our newest Oasis Library at Araromi Baptist Primary School in the Lagos Island district of the Eti-Osa LGA.