In December, a group of UCT and Stellenbosch students cycled from Cape Town to Keurboom, near Plettenberg Bay, to raise funds for help2read. The group of 13 students cycled for 11 days during their varsity vacation, raising R25,000 for help2read.
We are thrilled to announce that our Founder and Chairperson, Alex Moss, was honoured with the Lifetime Giving Back Award at the annual SA Chamber Business Awards 2017.
A lack of proper infrastructure and access to books are two major contributing factors to the literacy crisis in South Africa. Thankfully, there are organisations around the country that are dedicated to creating safe, educational spaces where children can not only access books, but fall in love with reading.
In the second instalment of our Who Is Who In Literacy series we feature Wordworks, an organisation that supports early language and literacy development among children from birth to 8 years.
We’ve worked with thousands of children over the years, and we haven’t met one child that doesn’t love storytime. Reading books out loud makes stories come alive, and with the help of sound effects, actions and unique character voices, it’s no wonder that storytime is a favourite.
Last year, we took a long, hard look at the state of illiteracy in South Africa. By now, you may be well aware of the statistics and their implications, but what you may not know is what is being done by initiatives and organisations that, like ourselves, are working every day to solve the literacy crisis.
When reading becomes second nature, it’s not often that we stop to think about being able to read or what life would be like without it. In fact, once mastered, we take our literacy for granted, as if it’s a skill we’ve always had.
Every week, our volunteer Reading Helpers and Literacy Tutors passionately and patiently sit one-on-one with learners to help them learn to read. By the time children start our programme, they’ve already been identified as struggling readers. They are between grades 2 and 4, and have fallen dramatically behind in learning how to read.
Here at help2read, we believe you’re never too old to volunteer. In fact, a large majority of our volunteer Reading Helpers are over 60 years old. Studies show that when you’re further along in years, volunteering can have a number of tremendous benefits.
Today marks the celebration of International Volunteer Day, commemorating the millions of volunteers around the world who give up their time to help others. Here at help2read, our work would not be possible without the incredible men and women that volunteer their time as Reading Helpers.
Registered SA Non-Profit 063-979 PBO 930027054 UK Charity Reg No. 1109567 Registered Office: Oak Farm Cottage, Mill Street, Gislingham, Suffolk, IP23 8JT
