NGOs partner to get children in Cape Flats reading with online programme

Literacy non-profit organisation, READ to RISE, has partnered with Origin Learning Fund to provide 1,000 children at 5 primary schools in Mitchells Plain, Cape Town, with access to the READ to RISE Online Programme.

In South Africa, sadly 78% of grade 4 learners are functionally illiterate. Through the Read to Rise Online Programme, children will improve their digital literacy skills, reading, pronunciation and comprehension skills. This pilot project has been launched at West End Primary School, Littlewood Primary School, Yellowwood Primary School, AZ Berman Primary School and Jamaica Way Primary School where 1,000 children will benefit.

The READ to RISE Online Programme gives children access to the books in the OAKY series (written by award-winning South African poet Athol Williams) and has multiple choice comprehension questions for each book. There is audio for the books which can help children with pronunciation. The READ to RISE Online Programme can be accessed via desktop, tablet or mobile phone. Once the app is downloaded onto mobile phones or tablets, no internet is needed to use the READ to RISE Online Programme.

READ to RISE is a non-profit organisation that promotes youth literacy in under-resourced communities in South Africa. The organisation hopes to inspire children to read through its classroom programmes and also giving each learner access to books. READ to RISE currently offers programmes for Grade 2 and 3 classes and works with all 47 primary schools in Mitchells Plain. To date, the organisation has visited over 6,300 classes to conduct their programme and given out over 286,000 new books.

“In today’s world digital literacy is vital, so we are delighted to partner with Origin Learning Fund to be able to give 1,000 children in Mitchells Plain access to the READ to RISE Online Programme.” says READ to RISE Executive Director, Taryn Lock.

The Origin Learning Fund is a US and Colombian non-profit organisation that focuses on promoting innovative solutions to education challenges and leveraging technology to enhance education outcomes. Their mission is to support educational and leadership development programs for teachers and youth in vulnerable communities. They do that through their own-developed technology, O-lab app. A fully customizable and inclusive web/mobile platform that works also offline and on low-cost devices, adapting to any content, community and language worldwide, indigenous tongues included.

"It is amazing to see how in a short time O-lab has become scalable and effective from Colombia to South Africa, as well as in other countries around the world. READ to RISE is doing an incredible job identifying reading as a key building block for shaping a generation of inspiring new leaders, and we are happy that we can contribute to this by making their programmes digitally inclusive. Read To Rise is the ideal partner for using O-lab and we aspire to multiply these kinds of alliances in Africa as well as the rest of the world", says Tania Rosas, Founder and CEO of Origin Learning Fund.

Origin Learning Fund has partnered with Read to Rise in 2023 with this pilot project and provided 1,000 licences for children in Mitchells Plain, Cape Town, South Africa to access the READ to RISE Online Programme.

READ to RISE relies on funding from individuals, trusts and corporates and hopes to continue inspiring children to read. If you are able to assist with sponsorship, please visit www.readtorise.org or email info@readtorise.co.za

Creating excitement about reading at libraries

Literacy non-profit organisation, READ to RISE, hosted five full day programmes at five public libraries – Tafelsig Public Library, Rocklands Public Library, Lentegeur Public Library, Westridge Public Library and Town Centre Public Library - in Mitchells Plain during the December/January school holidays.

131 children benefitted from the READ to RISE Holiday Programme. Each child received 4 new story books, 3 activity books, a pencil and lunch. Children got to see the OAKY Puppet Show, learn about the stories from the OAKY series and also work on activities with READ to RISE facilitators. A total of 524 story books and 393 activity books were given out.

The project was funded by the Western Cape Department of Cultural Affairs and Sports.

READ to RISE is a non-profit organisation that promotes youth literacy in under-resourced communities such as Mitchells Plain. They hope to inspire children to read with a fun, interactive classroom programme and also giving each learner a new book to take home. In communities like Mitchells Plain, many children have never owned a book before. “Book ownership can ignite a love for reading” says READ to RISE Programme Manager, Roscoe Williams.

READ to RISE currently offers programmes for Grade 2 and 3 classes and works with all 47 primary schools in Mitchells Plain. To date, the organisation have visited over 6,300 classes to conduct their programme and given out over 286,000 new books. The books which are used in the programme are the Oaky Series which are inspirational stories written by award-winning poet Athol Williams who grew up in Mitchells Plain. Children need to read in order to ‘rise’ despite their circumstances. In Mitchells Plain, children face many challenges including gangs and drugs. “We believe that children who read, will excel at school and go on to become constructive citizens.” says Williams.

READ to RISE relies on sponsorships from individuals, trusts and corporates in order to conduct their programmes in schools and libraries.

The SALI Trust has recently partnered with READ to RISE to conduct the OAKY Puppet Show at 25 public libraries in Cape Town in 2023. 225 books from the OAKY Series will be given to these libraries so that children can borrow the books to read. ‘We are grateful to sponsors like The SALI Trust so that READ to RISE can get more children excited about reading and libraries.’ say Williams.

For more info, please email info@readtorise.co.za

READ to RISE wins literacy award

On 13 October 2022, non-profit organisation, READ to RISE won the Western Cape Cultural Affairs and Sport Award for Significant Contribution to the Development and Advancement of Reading and Literacy!

READ to RISE was founded by Athol Williams and Taryn Lock. Over the 9 years, READ to RISE has inspired over 100,000 children to read in under-resourced communities around South Africa. The organisation works with 47 primary schools in Mitchells Plain and 30 primary schools in Soweto. To date, the organisation has conducted over 5,600 class programmes and given out over 260,000 new story books.

READ to RISE also does the OAKY Puppet Show at public libraries around Cape Town during school holidays. The organisation also hosts the Cape Flats Book Festival. The second book festival took place 15-16 October 2022 at West End Primary School in Lentegeur, Mitchells Plain.

READ to RISE won the 2019 Western Cape Cultural Affairs and Sport Award for Best Library Programme.

READ to RISE Programme Manager, Roscoe Williams, represented the organisation at the awards evening and also was nominated for Significant Contribution to Language Development for his work in Mitchells Plain. Roscoe team includes Programme Facilitators Mark Klink and Anastacia von Vogel.

Co-Founder and author of the Oaky Series, Athol Williams, is an award-winning poet, social philosopher and academics - currently doing his PhD at Oxford University. Co-Founder, READ to RISE Executive Director and illustrator of the Oaky Series, Taryn Lock, is an Obama African Leader and currently runs READ to RISE with assistance from Business Operations Manager, Madeneya Bardien. The non-profit relies on corporates and individuals to sponsor the class programmes for the 19,000 children that they work with every year.

Co-Founders Athol Williams and Taryn Lock with Oaky.

For more information, please visit www.readtorise.co.za or email info@readtorise.co.za