Donate-a-Book is a GreaterGood South Africa campaign starting on World Book Day, 23 April, promoting literacy and the joy of reading in communities without access to books.
The campaign - sponsored by Media 24, with Exclusive Books and Biblionef - is an opportunity for book lovers to donate South African story books written in the mother-tongue to pre-schools or early childhood development centres.
Literacy in South Africa
South Africa faces a literacy crisis - with our children performing the worst out of 40 other countries in the recent Progress in International Reading Literacy study. The same study found that almost 80% of South African pupils do not develop basic reading skills by the time they reach grade five.
Unless pre-school children get experience of books and reading in their home language they enter school at a severe disadvantage and struggle to catch up.
Access to reading material in the mother-tongue has been shown to be a major factor in the development of early literacy skills but few South African children are exposed to reading activities with their families and less than half have books in their own homes.
About the books
The books are selected and provided by Donate-a-Book partner, Biblionef. Biblionef is a non profit book publisher, providing storybooks in all eleven official South African languages to children's organisations throughout the country.
Biblionef focuses on books of African stories with illustrations that children can easily relate to. And all the books are new. This is because new books last longer than others and because bright, new books help to create a love of reading, especially in children living in disadvantaged communities. New books give these children a feeling of self-worth.
Biblionef also provides continuing support and further book donations to the organisations it supports.
The price of each book on Donate-a-Book includes the cost of a lockable trunk to secure the books, resource materials for teachers, transport to the ECD centre, follow-up support, project assessment and evaluation.
Where the books will go
The books will go to pre-schools or early childhood development centres identified by Biblionef and assessed by GreaterGood South Africa, using the SASIX selection process.
All the centres are in disadvantaged areas across South Africa - where unemployment levels are high and literacy levels low. The centres have all specifically requested books written in the mother-tongue to help the children they look after learn and grow.
Everyone has something to give
There are lots of easy ways to promote reading and a love of books:
- Join your local library and volunteer to help out.
- Give your time to Donate-a-Book by offering to deliver the books you've donated. Contact us
- Support early childhood development projects on the SA Social Investment Exchange
And read, read, read: read to your children every night, read for fun, read for knowledge, read for enlightenment. Pass the joy of reading on by offering to read to people at a local old age or children's home. Offer your time to literacy projects
