The United Nations has declared September 8^th each year as International Literacy Day, a global observance, with the aim of raising awareness of and concern for literacy issues within communities.

Literacy is not just about words but also numbers. It is an essential right and has the ability to transform lives.  The Rotary Club of Grand Cayman Sunrise recognizes the power of literacy to empower lives and has adopted literacy as one of its signature community projects in the Cayman Islands. We believe that a more literate community will go a long way to improve many of the social ills facing our community today.

The Club has formed LIFE (Literacy Is For Everyone) a company owned and operated by the Rotary Club of Grand Cayman Sunrise with a strategic plan for the development of an independent body dedicated to promoting the significance of the issue of literacy and numeracy, stimulating new literacy and numeracy initiatives and improving literacy and numeracy standards of all school age children and adults in the Cayman Islands.

Members and friends of the Club regularly read on a weekly basis one-on-one with children in schools. At our weekly meetings at which we have a guest speaker we donate a book in their honour to the public library system.

For International Literacy Day this year, members and friends will be reading to classrooms of children in primary schools and will be distributing dictionaries to Year 7 students. The Club has also partnered with Books and Books in Camana Bay who will extend a 10% discount on all purchases of children’s books on September 8^th.

You can help promote literacy by donating books to a school or public library, start a reading club, or help mentor an adult or child struggling with literacy issues.

Literacy is everyone’s business every day. Get involved today and help build a stronger community. To find out how you can become involved visit our website at www.rotarysunrise.ky.

Tony Catalanotto – President Rotary Club of Grand Cayman Sunrise 2012-13