Children at Tshebedisanong Primary School receive books for Mandela Month

In celebration of Mandela Month, non-profit organisations Read to Rise and Impilo Collection Foundation teamed up to inspire learners at Tshebedisanong Primary School in Soweto. Each of the Grade 3 and 4 learners received a new story book to take home.

“There can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul than the way in which it treats its children” ~Nelson Mandela

For Mandela Month, literacy non-profit organisation Read to Rise partnered with Impilo Collection Foundation on Friday 29 July 2022 to help 75 Grade 3 and 4 learners at Tshebedisanong Primary School in Soweto, Johannesburg. Impilo Collection Foundation volunteers joined Read to Rise at the school visit to read to the children and hand out books. This partnership was supported through the generosity of Connected Devices who sponsored the books for the learners.

In addition, the South African College of Applied Psychology also attended the school visit to provide free learner consultation and play therapy.

Read to Rise started in 2013 to promote youth literacy in under-resourced communities in South Africa. The organisation hopes to inspire children to read by conducting class programmes and giving new story books to children to own. The organisation currently works with 77 primary schools in Mitchells Plain and Soweto and to date have given out over 255,000 new story books.

“The pandemic has made the learning environment for children in Soweto even more challenging, hence why we are grateful to organisations like Impilo Foundation for giving of their time to join the school visit to read our learners at Tshebedisanong Primary School.” says Taryn Lock, Read to Rise Executive Director. ‘We try to encourage learners to read, so that they can ‘rise’ above their circumstances.”

Impilo Collection Foundation hopes to inspire people to make a difference in society through storytelling and shared experiences of the youth and professionals. The Foundation also had volunteers at a school in Randburg on the day.

Impilo Collection Foundation Founder, Angela Yeung, said “We believe education is the key for uprooting people from poverty, therefore finding ways to drive literacy is high on our agenda and through partnering with valuable organisations like Read to Rise to #EmpowerThem.”

Read to Rise plans to visit 30 primary schools in Soweto during the second half of 2022 to conduct their class programmes where each Grade 3 and 4 learner will receive a new story book. The organisation relies on donations from the public. For only R50, you can sponsor a learner. Give the of reading, for more information about READ to RISE or to donate, please visit https://www.readtorise.co.za

If you would like more information about Impilo Collection Foundation, please visit https://impilofoundation.co.za/

Mandela Month Campaign - Books for Christian David Moravian Primary School

Read to Rise believes that if a child loves to read, they will excel at school and go on to become good constructive members in society. It all starts with reading.

In celebration of Mandela Month, we would like to raise R6,700. These funds will go towards 123 Grade 2 and 3 learners at Christian David Moravian Primary School in the Steenberg area in Cape Town. The READ to RISE team will visit the school and conduct the class programmes with the learners.

For only R50 a child, a child will benefit from the READ to RISE programme and receive a new story book to take home.

We hope that you will please support this campaign so that we can get more children excited about reading!

Join the reading revolution :)

Donate here

https://gogetfunding.com/readtorise/

Trailblazing Winter Olympian promotes youth literacy in South Africa’s underserved communities

The first Nigerian Winter Olympian and first African and Black female competitor in her sport, Simidele Adeagbo brings a message of bravery and confidence to young children in South Africa.

Literacy non-profit organisation Read to Rise has partnered with Olympian Simidele Adeagbo to inspire learners across South Africa. Read to Rise and Adeagbo teamed up to gift 400 copies of Adeagbo’s newly released children’s book Sleigh, Sleigh, Sleigh All Day to learners in underserved communities. Friday 29 April 2022, Adeagbo joined Read to Rise at Mitchells Plain Primary School in Cape Town, South Africa to share her book with Grade 4 learners.

324 learners at Mitchells Plain Primary School and Parklands Primary School in Mitchells Plain will receive a free copy of Adeagbo’s new book. In addition, Adeagbo will join Read to Rise at Tshebedisanong Primary School in Soweto, Johannesburg on May 12 where 76 learners will receive a copy of the book.

In the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea, Adeagbo became the first Nigerian Winter Olympian and the first African and Black woman to compete in skeleton (a sport in which athletes hurl themselves headfirst on a sled down an icy hill at eighty miles an hour). She has since become the first African gold medal winner at an international bobsled race and is the most decorated Nigerian and African bobsled and skeleton athlete of all time. Adeagbo’s journey from Olympic history maker to children’s book author started with a desire to create a story of diversity and overcoming adversity, empowering young readers to believe in themselves and strive for their dreams.

“Children from all backgrounds deserve the opportunity to thrive through reading and this partnership with Read to Rise creates more access to the power of books,” says Adeagbo. “It’s an honour to help young learners in South Africa discover the pleasure of reading through Sleigh, Sleigh, Sleigh All Day,” said Adeagbo.

In Adeagbo’s impactful story of courage, a young Black girl named Damilola tries sleighing down an icy slope for the first time. She thinks she knows exactly what it’ll take to reach sledding success. With a snazzy new snowsuit and a lightning-fast sled, she comes to realize, however, that true victory lies not in what is seen but in unlocking her bravest, boldest, and best self. Together, Adeagbo and Read to Rise bring this compelling narrative to life for learners with a customized classroom lesson. The interactive lesson features a memorable reading experience led by the author as well as discussion questions and activities designed around the book’s central message of bravery and confidence with an emphasis on reading comprehension.

Read to Rise started in 2013 to promote youth literacy in under-resourced communities in South Africa. They currently work with 77 primary schools in Mitchells Plain and Soweto. The organisation conducts class programmes and gives new story books to children to own, hoping to get children excited about reading. To date, the organisation has given out over 250,000 new story books. This partnership with Adeagbo launches the organisation’s new Author Programme to get children’s books into the hands of children.

“Our children need positive role models and it’s inspirational when children see people who look like them excelling. Powerful stories like Simidele’s personal story and her book show the possibilities for children.” Says Taryn Lock, Read to Rise Executive Director.

Read to Rise and Adeagbo’s partnership was supported through the generosity of Illumina, Inc. a U.S. based biotechnology company.

For more information about READ to RISE, please visit https://www.readtorise.co.za

If you would like more information about Simidele Adeagbo and Sleigh, Sleigh, Sleigh All Day, please contact media@adeagbo.com