A non-profit organisation that has helped thousands of children in Mitchells Plain learn to read is taking its programme to the West Coast for the first time.
Read to Rise has partnered with TotalEnergies to bring its reading programme to seven primary schools along the West Coast, reaching nearly 6 000 learners.
The Mitchells Plain-based organisation, which has been working in the area since 2013, will deliver its full class programme to 161 classes during April and May. Each child will receive structured reading lessons and take home a new storybook.
A total of 5 924 new storybooks will be distributed across the participating schools: Eden Primary School, Doringbay Primary School, Meddelpos Primary School, St Andrews Primary School, Panorama Primary School, St Augustine Primary School, and PW de Bruyn Primary School.
From Mitchells Plain to the West Coast
The expansion comes as Read to Rise looks to spread its successful model beyond its home base. The organisation currently works with 18 000 children across 57 primary schools and 40 Early Childhood Development centres in Mitchells Plain and Soweto.
“We are very excited to partner with TotalEnergies so that we can offer our class programmes to seven primary schools along the West Coast,” said Read to Rise Executive Director Taryn Lock. “Reading is the first step towards getting a good education, and we are grateful to partners like TotalEnergies so that we are able to reach more children around South Africa.”
The move addresses serious concerns about reading levels across the country. The latest Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) report shows that 81% of Grade 4 learners cannot read for meaning.
A Department of Basic Education and UNICEF South Africa study found that 43% of households do not have access to books, whilst the 2023 National Reading Survey revealed that two-thirds of homes with children under ten do not have even one children’s book.
Corporate backing enables expansion
Lerato Baloyi, CSI Officer at TotalEnergies, stressed the importance of supporting proven programmes: “At TotalEnergies, we believe that education is the foundation of lasting social change. By partnering with Read to Rise, we are investing in the future of our children and helping to create opportunities that extend far beyond the classroom.”
Since its founding, Read to Rise has distributed over 400 000 new storybooks and aims to create a lifelong love of reading through hands-on programmes and book ownership.
More information about Read to Rise is available at www.readtorise.co.za or by emailing info@readtorise.co.za.
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