To instil a culture of reading and contribute to improving numeracy among primary school children across the country, funeral insurer Avbob will launch the Avobob Road to Literary Trolley Library campaign for the second year in a row.
The campaign, which began on 1 March in partnership with Oxford University Press South Africa (OUP), will gift 260 trolley libraries donated by OUP in 11 official South African languages on numeracy books and other learning resources to deserving primary schools and education non-profit organisations.
Included in 2023 campaign, says Kebo Mosweusweu, general manager of shared value and sustainability at Avbob, is the availability of reading resources in mother-tongue languages. “Experts through various studies have found that teaching in a mother tongue helps reduce dropout rates and makes education more accessible and engaging for learners,” she pointed out. “Equally important is the need to develop numeracy skills during formative years. Through this year’s campaign, Avbob and OUP aim to reinforce commitment to instilling a love of reading to primary school learners.”
The latest Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (Pirls) findings show 78% of Grade 4 learners in South Africa could not read with meaning in any language, because they were not taught basic literacy in the language they speak at home. This means that only 22% of the country’s 10-year-olds understand what they have read.
Hanri Pieterse, managing director of Oxford University Press South Africa, expands on the importance for children reading in their mother tongue.
“A good reader needs a developed written vocabulary to read with meaning,” she said. “This is why a child must learn to read in their mother tongue. When they do they develop this written vocabulary more easily, as the words they read match the words they hear and speak.”
Oxford University Press South Africa, which is South Africa’s leading literacy publisher, has donated 130 000 books in all 11 official languages to this campaign.
In 2022, 180 trolley libraries were given to winning recipients and this year that number has increased by 80 to 260 trolley libraries.
Last year each trolley library was equipped with 430 books, whereas in 2023 each trolley will contain 500 books.
Each Avbob Road to Literacy trolley library has a value of
R50 000.
The total investment value for 2023 competition is R13 million, which is an increase from R10 million in 2022.
How to nominate a school
Calls for nominations for this year’s campaign opened on 1 March, and the public is encouraged to take part in this initiative by submitting electronic nominations, explaining why their choice of school or educational NPO deserves to win a trolley library equipped with books.
To nominate a school or an educational NPO the nominator must include the desired language for the library so winners can receive books in their preferred language. Nominators can name deserving primary schools or educational NPOs who serve learners in Grade R to seven.
The https://clickme1.zero-data.co.za/RTL_PR website can be visited to nominate a chosen beneficiary .
The handover of trolley libraries to winners will be facilitated by local Avbob offices, in partnership with OUP and representatives from the winning schools and educational NPOs.
Timelines:
- 1 March 2023 to 14 April: Competition launch and call for nominations. All nominations must be sent through a dedicated website: https://clickme1.zero-data.co.za/RTL_PR.
- 1 March 2023 to 28 April 2023: Assessment of nominations as and when they are received. Avbob and OUP will decide on the winners.
- 8 June: Official announcement of winners.
- 12 June 2023 to 31 August: Delivery of trolley libraries to winning schools.
