The Nal’ibali reading-for-enjoyment-campaign’s partnership with  Trevor Noah Foundation (TNF) will see a community-driven literacy intervention programme rolled out across seven schools in Braamfischerville, Gauteng. The schools form part of TNF’s Khulani Schools Programme (KSP), which contributes to inclusive and equitable access to quality education.

While the KSP has solely supported secondary education in the past, the partnership with Nal’ibali to improve literacy represents the programme’s expansion into foundation phase education. “Through our work with secondary schools, we understood the importance of going backwards in the education value chain, to support primary schools. Strengthening foundational literacy skills will enable youth to dream, see and build the impossible”, says Shalane Yuen, Executive Director of TNF.

To be officially launched on Thursday, 04 August and run for a year, the Khula Funda Literacy (a partnership between TNF and Nal’ibali) Programme  will focus on Grade R-3 learners. Nal’ibali promotes learning and literacy in all South African languages and as part of this partnership, the NGO will be training and placing young literacy activists or ‘Story Sparkers’ in the seven primary schools. The Story Sparkers will facilitate fun reading activities – such as book borrowing – in African languages to help the schools build a culture of reading.

The project will also be supporting foundation phase teachers and caregivers in making use of a literacy-themed learning programme and provide practical training and materials.Additional training will be provided to interested community members on running extra-mural reading clubs. Further, Nal’ibali will equip the schools with culturally relevant reading materials such as story books and its popular story supplement – all in the school’s respective spoken home languages and English.

“Children who are exposed to great and well-told stories in languages they understand are motivated to learn to read and write for themselves. Further, children who regularly read for pleasure perform better in the classroom, regardless of their family’s income or social standing. Our collaboration with TNF’s Khulani Schools Programme will enable us to extend such opportunities to more South African children,” says Nal’ibali’s Director, Nqabakazi Mathe-Gina.

Through this initiative, Nal’ibali hopes to encourage regular reading and storytelling in home and community settings to help enhance children’s oral and written language skills as well as the confidence, understanding and literacy practices of all those involved. “Ultimately, our aim is to significantly change the life trajectory of the young children it supports and remind parents, educators, and community members of their powerful and authentic teaching roles,” says Mathe-Gina.

The seven Braamfischerville schools to be supported are: Braamfischer Primary School, JB Marks Primary School, Julius Sebolai Primary School, Khulanolwazi Primary School, Moses Kotane Primary School, Nkone Maruping Primary School, and Nomzamo Madikizela Mandela Primary School.

For for information about the Trevor Noah Foundation, visit: www.trevornoahfoundation.org.za

For more information about the Nal’ibali campaign, or to access children’s stories in a range of SA languages, visit www.nalibali.org, or send the word ‘stories’ to 060 044 2254. You can also find Nal’ibali on Facebook and Twitter: @NalibaliSA