Promoting Literacy in South Africa's townships

by help2read
Play Video
Promoting Literacy in South Africa's townships
Promoting Literacy in South Africa's townships
Promoting Literacy in South Africa's townships
Promoting Literacy in South Africa's townships
Promoting Literacy in South Africa's townships
Promoting Literacy in South Africa's townships
Promoting Literacy in South Africa's townships
Promoting Literacy in South Africa's townships
Promoting Literacy in South Africa's townships
Promoting Literacy in South Africa's townships
Promoting Literacy in South Africa's townships
Promoting Literacy in South Africa's townships
Promoting Literacy in South Africa's townships
Promoting Literacy in South Africa's townships
Promoting Literacy in South Africa's townships
Promoting Literacy in South Africa's townships
Promoting Literacy in South Africa's townships
Promoting Literacy in South Africa's townships
Promoting Literacy in South Africa's townships
Promoting Literacy in South Africa's townships
Promoting Literacy in South Africa's townships
Promoting Literacy in South Africa's townships
Promoting Literacy in South Africa's townships
Promoting Literacy in South Africa's townships
Promoting Literacy in South Africa's townships
Promoting Literacy in South Africa's townships
Promoting Literacy in South Africa's townships
Promoting Literacy in South Africa's townships
Promoting Literacy in South Africa's townships
Promoting Literacy in South Africa's townships
Promoting Literacy in South Africa's townships

Summary

Most of South Africa's poorest communities lack educational infrastructure & resources, leading to 78% of Grade 4 children not being able to read for meaning in any language. Illiteracy breeds exclusion and perpetuates poverty. Help2read builds literacy by training unemployed young people as literacy tutors and helping them establish & operate community reading programmes in safe educational spaces that promote family literacy & a love of reading and helps children secure a good future.

$6,542
total raised
74
donors
0
monthly donors
7
years

Challenge

There is an enduring literacy crisis in South Africa. According to a recent PIRLS research, 78% of Grade 4 learners cannot read for meaning, 29% are completely illiterate. The majority of primary schools are severely under-resourced & overcrowded with just 2 or 3 books shared between an entire classroom. Furthermore, there are no community libraries in townships and few homes have books, so most children cannot engage in reading activities throughout holiday periods, leading them to fall behind.

Solution

Our literacy intervention programmes are run in primary schools where children who struggle to read are provided one-on-one reading help. Moreover, we establish educational infrastructure in communities through Reading Clubs. Through consistent literacy input, reading help & fun activities, the children we help don't only learn to read, they fall in love with it. We believe building literacy skills is the most cost-effective investment in the fight against poverty & poor educational achievement.

Long-Term Impact

Literacy is the foundation for all learning & for future opportunities; the ability to read is the building block for learning and ensures children get the most out of their schooling. It enables access to health, education, employment and it strengthens democracy & civic engagement. Literacy directly tackles unemployment by providing skills. Central to a thriving economy is a literate, educated & skilled workforce. South Africa's GDP would be est. 25-30% higher if the whole country was literate

Additional Documentation

This project has provided additional documentation in a PDF file (projdoc.pdf).

Resources

Organization Information

help2read

Location: Century City, Western Cape - South Africa
Website:
Facebook: Facebook Page
Twitter: @help2read
help2read
Nikki Knowler
Project Leader:
Nikki Knowler
Mooikloof, Pretoria , Gauteng South Africa

Retired Project!

This project is no longer accepting donations.
 

Still want to help?

Find another project in South Africa or in Education that needs your help.
Find a Project

Learn more about GlobalGiving

Teenage Science Students
Vetting +
Due Diligence

Snorkeler
Our
Impact

Woman Holding a Gift Card
Give
Gift Cards

Young Girl with a Bicycle
GlobalGiving
Guarantee

Get incredible stories, promotions, and matching offers in your inbox

WARNING: Javascript is currently disabled or is not available in your browser. GlobalGiving makes extensive use of Javascript and will not function properly with Javascript disabled. Please enable Javascript and refresh this page.