Nal’ibali is about creating conditions that support learning. Children have to experience reading in the same way that adults do. They have to be able to choose books they like, read in the languages they want to read in, write what they like and find comfortable spaces to read in and feel nurtured. In reading club spaces, children have to feel the excitement we all feel when we buy a book at the bookshop or through the internet, or when we take off formal clothes and put on comfortable ones ready to jump into bed or a couch with a good book. They have to experience the satisfaction of being alone with a book or with adults who want to share a book and feel the satisfaction of having experienced the magic and power of a story.

We all know many children in South Africa and beyond learn to read without proper conditions in place, such as: no access to a wide variety of books, unfamiliarity with new or old authors, and not knowing where to get books. Many learn to read without learning to love reading. Many South African children learn under difficult conditions, where they do not have comfortable classrooms or home environments.

The good news is, during the second half of 2012, we saw growth in the number of people and organisations willing to donate books, cushions, blankets, toys and or stationery and even rooms for reading clubs to take place. When I think about it, there are a lot of people out there who would like to give in one way or another and the one good thing about it is that there is no one way of giving. While others give their time to read to children afterschool or on weekends at the reading clubs, others donate books, stationery, cushions, paint and blankets. This also means that you do not have to be a teacher to able to provide a good learning environment for the children. This reminds me of the saying, ‘it takes a village to raise a child.’

Organisations such as Biblionef, ZamaSA, schools and reading clubs as well as individuals have contributed in the changing the lives of some of the children and adults in South Africa through the donations they have made.

Biblionef donated 100 books to 20 reading clubs in four provinces in SA. These include:

• Gauteng: Future Kids Reading Club, Evaton North Reading Club, Sebokeng Reading Club, Thembelihle Reading Club, and Amaqhawe Akusasa Reading Club.
• Western Cape: Kannemeyer Reading Club, Masakhe Reading Club, Sakh’iKamva Reading Club, Langa Vulindlela Reading Club and Delft Vulindlela Reading Club and KwaFaku Vulindlela Reading Club.
• Eastern Cape: ZamaSA Reading Club (PE), Coega House Reading Club (P.E), Sinethemba Reading Club (PE), Unako Teen Reading Club (PE), Nompumelelo Reading Club (East London) and Brain Feed Reading Club (KWT).
• KwaZulu-Natal: Inyaninga Teen Reading Club, Siyaphambili Reading Club.

Reddam House High School in Cape Town donated toys, blankets and cushions to KwaFaku Vulindlela Reading Club in Lower Crossroads.

Islamia Primary donated books and stationary to Langa Vulindlela Reading Club. This club also received fleece blankets from Sara Muller, paper from Caroline Kloppert, and cushions from Stella Schoemann this year.

FunDza Literacy Trust donated their Harmony High series of novels to some of the reading clubs in our network. These books are popular with teenagers and have made their way into Cape Town and Eastern Cape Reading Clubs.

Reading clubs don’t only receive; they also reciprocate by donating to other clubs. The Langa Vulindlela Reading Club got a donation of R35,000  from our friend Andrew Summers, to buy Xhosa books which are hard to find in second-hand bookshops and very expensive to buy. The club bought Xhosa and Afrikaans books and donated them to reading clubs in Cape Town. Most recently, for Mandela Day, the club donated 27 brand new titles to Brain Feed Reading Club in King Williams Town.

Upon winning a mini library of books through a competition in the Nal’ibali reading-for-enjoyment supplement, ZamaSA in PE contacted us about an Afrikaans reading club, as they do not have Afrikaans readers in their club. Kannemeyer Book Club in Cape Town will be the recipient.

On behalf of the reading clubs, we would like to say ‘nangamso’ to everyone who has made reading for enjoyment possible.

To support reading clubs in your area or to find other ways to get involved, email join@nalibali.org or visit our Support Us page.