NGOs Pencils of Promise (POP) and World Vision have marked this year's International Mother Language Day celebration in the Volta Region on the theme: "Indigenous languages matter for development, peace-building and reconciliation".

International Mother Language Day is marked on the 21st of February. It is an annual celebration inaugurated by the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) in 1999 to celebrate and project local dialects worldwide.

The Krachi West Municipal Director of the Ghana Education Service, Mrs Georgina Mensah, in her speech during the event held at Ho, indicated that children are fast in understanding lessons when they are taught in their local dialects and show interest in their academic activities.

She said in her area, literacy among learners has improved at the basic schools because of the use of the local dialect to teach the children, hence, it is prudent to equip the pupils with their mother tongues.

"Education, especially literacy, in the lower grades, is very successful; now most children can read…” she said.

She called on both government and non-government institutions to use the day to promote and outline policies to "support mother language”.

The Volta Regional Chairman of the Ghana Journalists Association (GIJ), Mr Kafui Bells Kanyi shared his experience of using his local dialect (Ewe) as a journalist and called for the need to always use the mother language.

He encouraged radio stations in the region to do programmes in the local language to promote and project it.

A representative of the International Child Development Programme (ICDP), Ghana, Ms Joyce Lanyo, bemoaned that foreigners who visit Ghana are always eager to learn indigenous languages but Ghanaians rather feel shy of their own language.

"When foreign volunteers come, the first thing they want to learn is the local language. Why is it that we are throwing that away?" She quizzed.

She praised musicians like Amakye Dede and Ofori Amponsah for using their songs to project Ghanaian dialects. 

The Country Director of Pencils of Promise, Mr Freeman Gobah, who spearheaded the event, in an interview with Class News, urged parents to allow their children to speak the local dialect while learning the international ones.