Accra: The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) marked this year’s Mother Language Day with a special reading session at the 31st Makola Market.
It was to celebrate linguistic diversity and promote the importance of preserving the mother tongue.
The event was under the theme: ‘Reading to Connect Minds for Social Transformation’ and aimed at rekindling the habit of reading in the local dialects to promote intercultural connections.
The Day is observed annually on February 21 after it was proclaimed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 1999 to promote linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism worldwide.
It focuses on the promotion of capital languages (for instance the Ga language in Accra) in various countries.
During the reading sessions, volunteers, including traders, community members and the Mayor of Accra, read aloud passages from literary works, poems, and folktales in the Ga and Akan languages.
Madam Elizabeth Kwatsoe Tawiah Sackey, Chief Exe
cutive Officer, AMA, at the opening ceremony, said language was not just a means of communication; but a repository of knowledge, identity, and traditions.
She said language had an intrinsic value and pivotal role to play in preserving cultural heritage in the City.
Madam Sackey said the event formed part of activities by the AMA to promote the Accra World Book Capital, adding that the AMA was committed to promoting mother languages among residents of Accra.
She urged the Ghana Education Service (GES), Ghana School of Languages and religious bodies to play a major role in pushing the agenda of promoting local languages to preserve the country’s cultural identity.
‘I encourage you, our market women and traders to help save the Ghanaian languages from going into extinction by teaching your children how to read and speak with them at home,’ Madam Sackey said.
Madam Mercy Naa Afrowa Needjan, President of the Greater Accra Market Association, commended the decision to celebrate this year’s event in the market
and affirmed their commitment to preserving linguistic heritage for future generations.
She said the Association would continue to support initiatives that promoted multilingualism and cultural exchanges in Accra, adding that the event would promote reading among traders.
Source: Ghana News Agency