Koketso Ratsatsi is a collaborator in the Mohlakeng Youth Movement – a team of young people working in the Mohlakeng township south of Randfontein to grow a culture of reading in the community. Here's her wise take on how we should all take ownership of literacy development:

Knowledge is powerful and, transmitted through reading, it is one thing that no one can ever take away from you. Not only do we need books to help us to discover new things, they also serve another important role: passing down and upholding the many different indigenous languages in our country.

I was reminded of this while shuffling down the road one day with a pal, when a woman who seemed to be in her fifties, walked straight up to us, seemingly with the intention of asking for help. All I know is that she spoke in Venda.

I attempted to reply to her in English – my African language capabilities are limited to Setswana and isiZulu – but we could not get past our greetings, even with the help of my friend. Admittedly, I still don’t know what she was trying to say. Later it occurred to me: are there enough people reading books written in proper or pure mother-tongue languages and do our children have enough of these?
"Reading gradually builds confidence and... for a child’s future, successful reading is essential."

Jozi is a melting pot of languages but how many of them do we really know, when it comes down to it? Yes, you might sound cool while ‘twanging’ or free styling different languages with your peers, but trust me, you don’t want to get caught out and look ignorant like I did when you actually need to communicate something real!

There are fundamental reasons why reading needs be intensified in our country. I always tell anyone who cares to listen that reading gradually builds confidence and that, for a child’s future, successful reading is essential. One of the ways that we can make reading enticing is by offering children books in their home languages and instilling a deep love for mother tongue before moving on to additional dialects and other languages.

The scariest for me though, has been discovering that the elders are also struggling with literacy challenges. I now understand why some people cannot get meaningful or decent jobs and battle with something as simple as filling out a form.

Imagine this: if we frequented convenient libraries and book clubs, we would have a functioning society of curious, literate citizens. After our library was burnt down in a service delivery protest, we started our own, offering what books we could. Since then, children have been visiting us daily and, through relaxed one-on-one reading sessions, we’re already seeing an improvement in their confidence and skills. So, I ask you as we celebrate World Book Day this month, to join us in affirming our children’s right to read and share a book or a story with the children in your life.