'Let's Read' initiative is about the love of reading, says Jane Jaffer

Muscat: Oman-based educator Jane Jaffer, who has just been awarded the Member of British Empire (MBE) medal for her service in education sector by the Queen of England, Elizabeth II, is known across Oman for her selfless service to the nation in the fields of education, healthcare, counselling, and most importantly, for promoting the habit of reading among children.
The ‘Let’s Read’ initiative was started in 2007 to promote and encourage young children to read. “One thing that has been very dear to my heart is the love of learning and for children to become lifelong learners. So in 2007, a group of us met and were discussing how we could encourage children to read,” she said. She wanted young children to discover the power of reading and start appreciating and acknowledging it as a habit. “It’s not about just being able to read, but about loving to read. I feel that when you read, you learn a lot about yourself, empathy, about the world, places and people. Like they say, a parachute works better when it’s open; our minds are exactly like that,” she said.
The main problem back in 2007 was that there weren’t enough books that were accessible to kids, especially those living and studying in the interiors of Oman. “We did feel at the time that there weren’t as many good books accessible. It’s been proven that children who choose their own books are much more motivated to read them,” she explained. As a result, the Maktabati mobile library was started as part of the ‘Let’s Read’ campaign.
“When we set up Maktabati, the mobile library, we took the buses out to the outlying areas, schools, and fairs. The children could choose books, and listen to stories from Omanis who would read to them.”
In order to help children lead by example, the campaign also encourages parents to read so children can watch them and get inspired. “We’ve also started with book drives to help with fundraising. We try to do things that will encourage children to gain confidence in themselves,” she said.
Apart from reading, Jaffer has also tried to encourage students to write both in Arabic and English and the response over the years has been great, with students sending in essays that are very creative and imaginative. “Sometimes, we have 600 entries from 600 different schools across the country. And we see wonderful writing in Arabic and English,” she said.