If most people were asked what their worry is during this time for measures to stop the spread of new coronavirus, there is no doubt that a great number of people would be concerned with putting food on the table.

But did you know experts say feeding the stomach is as important as feeding the mind? You would be wondering how to feed the mind, well, through reading. Authors explain why this is the best period to read and to instil the culture of reading not only for children but also adults.

According to Mutesi Gasana, who has authored books like, "Tona”, "Amarushanwa y’inyamaswa”, "Ibirori by’Inyamaswa”, there is a lot of troubling information on COVID-19 regarding the number of affected people, death and the toll on countries and in order to avoid the pressure, reading books can be a relief, and yet a source of information.

A book enthusiast tries out a book challenge with some of the books on her reading list‭. ‬

The Arise Education book publisher notes that reading at this time is therapeutic, as it distracts people from misinformation and troubling news, while focusing on hopeful and inspiration stories that would be helpful.

"Reading is very vital as it is an exercise for the brain. When we stay home, there is a tendency for people to remain inactive body wise and one of the weapons to fighting this inactivity is reading,” she explains.

Gasana also points out that reading can be an activity to bond with the family, for instance, when everybody is reading and they get time to either share what they read, it keeps the family engaged and bonded.

She points out that reading is considered as one of the ways to improve one’s knowledge on some trending topics or strategies. Gasana says business and career persons should use this time to think of the post-COVID-19 strategies with reliable information.

"Business owners need to think of new strategies to make sure that the businesses don’t succumb to the post-COVID-19 economic crisis and they can do so by reading. There is a lot of information out there that can help them plan for the future,” Gasana says.

Enock Luyonza, the author of "Beyond Walls” explains that it is imperative to learn to take responsibility for who we are becoming, and this can be possible when we draw ourselves to reading and make it an enjoyable experience.

He says people have enough time to develop new hobbies like reading because when the situation gets back to normal, this knowledge learned in books will be very useful.

He however says, before reading, people should ask themselves why they want to read a certain book, focus more on the points that the author highlights in order to pick something.

Luyonza says there is no harm in reading the same book until you are able to tell the lessons learned and basically what the whole book is about, take some occasional breaks to enable you stay focused.

The author stresses that reading can be spiced up by reviewing your material in creative ways. If possible, you can find a study partner, and with time, you can work on becoming a fast reader.

"In a situation where sleeping and watching movies are the order of the day, the brain requires to be fed on knowledge, which is derived from books. All of us want to leave the lockdown smarter, with vocabulary growth, and more skills, which is why, we should resort to reading,” Luyonza states.

He calls upon everyone to cultivate the culture of reading as it decreases depression, lowers stress, improves memory, supports writing abilities, enhances one’s imagination, boosts the day, and refines the mind.

Developing the love for reading

Gasana also states that anybody in any age group can develop love reading, starting with topics that interest them; for example, football, religion, music, love, food or things that they are passionate about and things that improve their lifestyles.

The culture of reading can be instilled to the little ones through watching their parents read in order for them to emulate the habit of reading. If you ask them to read a book and tell the story later "they will be more than glad to share” she adds.

Luyonza also says that the interest in reading, comes about when you consider why you want to read, identify what you want to read, and focus on the genre that you enjoy most, and most importantly, create a good reading environment.

He says that it is necessary to keep a reading list, socialize around reading, try audio books, and set reading time.

Luyonza further notes that when it comes to teaching children how to read, be supportive, hearten creativity, and create an environment that promotes reading.

Becoming a writer

"Reading creates great writers, use the tools you have, a pen, paper, laptop or any writing material, you can surely make your dream of becoming an author come true now. What is necessary is to jot down your thoughts as they are; do research on the topic you are writing about, take time to think of how you want the world to embrace your story,” Gasana adds.

She urges people to go online to look for publishers who can help them put together their thoughts into standardized content.

How to get the books?

Gasana further says, there are many options of getting books in the lockdown; those in Kigali and Rwanda in general can go online and order books on: www.ibitabo.com and the books can be delivered home. She notes, another option would be to purchase online copies from Amazon.