#100WordsWall: Mandela Day & Overcoming Challenges

Being 100 years since the birth of Nelson Mandela, this Mandela Day is an exceptionally special one. As part of the celebrations, we invited our Reading Helpers and learners to reflect on their progress and write down words that signify what they’ve learnt during the reading sessions.

Celebrating South Africa’s greatest leaders at the 2018 ICONS Gala Dinner

On 14 June 2018, help2read co-hosted a charity dinner to mark the 100 Anniversary of the birth of Nelson Mandela. The Icons Dinner recognised his powerful leadership and also celebrated the contribution made by 30 other important South African Icons of the past 100 years to nation-building in the new South Africa.

DIY Reading Activity: Create Your Own Storybook

There’s something magical about creating your own books, which is why it’s one of our all-time favourite activities to do with our help2read learners. What’s more is that it is wonderfully easy to do and inexpensive to create, and the options are absolutely endless!

Volunteer Spotlight: Meet Ajit Gandabhai

I’ve always known that every child is on their own unique journey as they grow and develop. It was only when I became a Volunteer Reading Helper in 2014 that I realised the important role that reading plays along that journey of development.

6 Ways to Reduce The Reading Slide During The Holidays

School holidays are around the corner. We’ve seen many learners make great progress in their reading over the past school term, but we know all too well that if children put down their books over the holidays, their reading ability can drop.

Readers are Leaders – Nelson Mandela & the power of reading in shaping future leaders

“Readers are leaders”. It’s a saying that’s often used to inspire children to read and rightly so. Books play a powerful role in developing the young minds of future leaders and it’s not hard to see why when you begin to unpack the many benefits of reading.

Mid-Year Highlights

From launching programmes at new schools to partnering with universities to train future teachers, 2018 has been a fun-filled, action-packed year so far. We have seen a lot of exciting growth in various areas, and are thrilled to see so many new wonderful volunteers and Literacy Tutors join our programmes, each one making a lasting impact on the lives of children in South Africa. 

Building literacy, one LEGO block at a time

LEGO is a powerful tool for playful learning, especially when it comes to learning to read. We recently partnered with Care For Education to incorporate LEGO Duplo into our Book Boxes at schools and external partners. 

Celebrating our dedicated volunteers

help2read is very privileged to have some of the best volunteers in the country. They are dedicated, passionate and completely committed to their learners. They do an outstanding job of helping learners improve reading skills and cultivate a love of books. They consistently give off their time with such love and passion, expecting nothing in return.

Sharing our love of libraries and storytelling during SA Library Week

This year we celebrated South African Library Week and World Storytelling Day across the Western Cape and Gauteng with a number of exciting activities to motivate learners to visit their local library and get reading.