Staff Reporter
THE 2026 Annual Readathon will promote reading and literacy through activities across Namibia, with the main commemoration scheduled for Katima Mulilo in the Zambezi Region from 21 to 25 September.
The week-long campaign, hosted annually by the Ministry of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sport, Arts and Culture, is aimed at strengthening reading habits among learners and communities while encouraging a culture of reading beyond the classroom.
Chief Librarian of the Education Library Service, Bianca Basson, said the Readathon was introduced as a national reading promotion campaign to address declining reading habits among learners and communities.
The campaign has seen September designated as Reading Month, with the final week recognised as Readathon Week and the final Friday as Readathon Day.
This year’s Readathon will be held under the theme “Read Namibia: Embrace Technology Within the Education Sector”, with activities including spelling bees, quizzes, read-aloud sessions and other educational activities.
Basson said the programme would also incorporate numeracy through number games as part of efforts to promote both literacy and numeracy among learners.
Deputy Director of the Namibia Library and Archive Service, Namutenya Hamwaalwa, said the campaign was also intended to encourage people to read with understanding and critically assess the information they encounter.
She said learners should be encouraged to question information rather than accepting everything they read as factual, particularly as the amount of information available through different platforms continues to increase.
The Namibia Library and Archive Service has organised reading activities through the country’s 65 public libraries, including reading competitions, storytelling, quizzes and read-aloud sessions.
Mobile library services will also take reading materials to communities located far from libraries, while stakeholders are supporting the campaign through book donations.
Hamwaalwa urged parents to support the development of a reading culture at home by making books part of their children’s everyday lives.
She said reading should not be limited to schoolwork, but should also be encouraged as a form of relaxation and lifelong learning.
National Information Workers Association of Namibia (NIWAN) President Melba Mabuku-Stwala said information professionals were supporting the campaign through awareness, advocacy and participation in Readathon activities.
NIWAN represents information professionals including archivists, librarians, documentarists and records managers.
Mabuku-Stwala said the association would also host a “Runathon” on 10 October as part of its efforts to promote reading, wellness and engagement among information professionals and stakeholders.
She said the responsibility for developing a reading culture extended beyond schools and Government, with parents, families and communities also having an important role to play.
Mabuku-Stwala encouraged families to use activities such as storytelling to promote reading while preserving indigenous knowledge.
The organisers have also called on members of the public, stakeholders and potential donors to support this year’s Readathon in Katima Mulilo.
Basson said the community was encouraged to attend the activities in Katima Mulilo, while further partnerships and donations remained welcome.
The main Readathon programme will take place at the Katima Mulilo Sports Complex from 21 to 25 September.
Photos: MICT
