Literacy in Africa

Strengthening Literacy. Empowering Youth. Transforming Communities.

Edu Fun continues its mission to improve English literacy for young learners in Diepsloot and neighbouring township and rural communities. Our focus remains on Grade 2 and 3 learners, ensuring they receive structured, evidencebased reading instruction through the PhonoGraphix method while being supported by a growing cohort of trained youth tutors.

Highlights From April to June 2026

World Book Day – 23 April

We celebrated World Book Day with creativity, imagination, and joyful learning. Learners designed their own book covers using minibooks created by our tutors, gaining insight into the work of authors and illustrators. They also reimagined their favourite storybook characters, expressing personality and originality through art. Our tutors played a key role in preparing materials and guiding activities, ensuring a meaningful and memorable experience for every child. The day reinforced that reading is not only about decoding words but also about expression, identity, and discovering new worlds through stories.

Winter Buddy Reader Enrichment Programme – 23 to 25 June 2026

Our preholiday Enrichment Week brought three days of highenergy learning at the Edu Fun Hub. Learners rotated through Reading Rooms, preliteracy stations, creative art, sports, and dance, strengthening foundational reading skills while building confidence, coordination, and creativity. Preliteracy groups explored sounds, rhyming, letter tracing, symmetry, and finemotor activities, while Grade 2 literacy groups worked through stories, new vocabulary, and decoding tasks — celebrating every “Aha” moment. Movement and rhythm sessions boosted confidence, and art activities encouraged imagination and selfexpression.

The atmosphere was electric throughout the week. Learners participated enthusiastically, embraced new challenges, and collaborated with peers. Our tutors led every activity, demonstrating growing professionalism, leadership, and ownership. Their ability to guide small groups, support individual learners, and maintain joyful learning spaces reflects the ongoing impact of our tutor programme. Learners left the programme more confident, more skilled, and genuinely excited about sounds, letters, stories, and learning.

Continuing to Grow Young Leaders Who Teach Thousands of Children

Edu Fun continues to strengthen a pipeline of youth leaders who are transforming literacy outcomes across Diepsloot and beyond. Through the Edu Fun Hub at Diepsloot Combined School, tutors receive ongoing training, observe model lessons, practise the PhonoGraphix method, and prepare to replicate structured literacy programmes in their own schools and communities.

Many tutors are advancing academically while teaching — several are enrolled in Bachelor of Education degrees, and others are pursuing tertiary studies such as IT. The hub provides essential support including internet access, printing facilities, academic mentorship, and accountability coaching, ensuring tutors succeed both as learners and educators. Each new tutor we train enables 30–40 additional children to receive weekly reading instruction, strengthening the foundation for meaningful reading by Grade 4.

Sustaining the Work That Changes Lives – ONE TUTOR and 40 children at a time

Our largest ongoing cost is the monthly stipend that supports our youth tutors’ basic living needs and, for some, their tuition toward careers in education. Sustaining and expanding this programme directly increases the number of children who receive weekly reading instruction.

How You Can Continue to Support the work that we do in 2026

• Sponsor a child to learn to read: $70 per year
• Sponsor a youth to complete a PhonoGraphix course: $350 onceoff
• Scholarship for a tutor studying education (includes textbooks and data for the tutor – all stationery for 40 learners) : $3,000 per year
• Full scholarship + living allowance for a tutor teaching up to 40 children: $5,500 per year

Links:

• Edu Fun Facebook Page
• Edu Fun Website
• More Information on Teaching Reading Using Phono-Graphix

Strengthening Literacy. Empowering Youth. Transforming Communities.

Edu Fun continues its mission to improve English literacy for young learners in Diepsloot and surrounding township and rural communities. We work primarily with Grade 2 and 3 learners, ensuring they receive structured, evidencebased reading instruction through the PhonoGraphix method.

Growing Youth Leaders Who Teach Thousands of Children

Our longterm goal is to empower 70 local youth to teach 3,000 children across seven primary schools in Diepsloot. With at least 10 tutors placed at each school, every Grade 2 and 3 learner can receive weekly reading lessons — dramatically increasing the likelihood that they will read with meaning by Grade 4.

In 2025, more than 2,000 children received literacy instruction across our partner sites in Diepsloot, Alexandra, Rosettenville, Orange Farm, Braamfontein, and Mfuleni.

The Edu Fun Hub at Diepsloot Combined School remains our flagship centre for training and mentorship. Tutors from several communities visit the hub to observe lessons, practise the method, and prepare to replicate the programme in their own schools or communities.

Many of our young tutors are advancing their own education:

• We now have Seven tutors who are currently studying toward Bachelor of Education degrees
• One tutor is working towards an IT qualification while serving as both tutor and IT coordinator

The hub also provides internet access, photocopying facilities, academic mentors, and accountability coaches — ensuring tutors succeed both as learners and as educators.

Highlights From Early 2026

The year has started with strong momentum. Tutors have launched projects across several sites, and a team recently trained new facilitators at the Marikana Youth Centre near Rustenberg.

We also celebrated World ReadAloud Day, using a Nal’ibali story that encouraged learners to embrace inclusivity and learn basic sign language. This reinforced our commitment to creating classrooms where every child feels seen, supported, and able to participate.

Our tutors also participated in a First Aid course.

We remain deeply grateful for the continued support of our GlobalGiving donors. Your contributions make this work possible.

Looking Ahead

Every new tutor we train opens the door for 30–40 additional children to receive weekly reading instruction. Our largest ongoing cost is the monthly stipend that supports our youth tutors’ basic living needs and, for some, their tuition toward careers in education.

How You Can Support in 2026

• Sponsor a child to learn to read: $50 per year
• Sponsor a youth to complete a PhonoGraphix course: $300 onceoff
• Scholarship for a tutor studying education: $1,000 per year
• Full scholarship + living allowance for a tutor teaching 40 children: $3,800 per year

Links:

• Edu Fun Website
• Edu Fun's Facebook page to view photos of recent events