Sameera Casmod | sameerac@radioislam.co.za
3 September 2023 | 09:00am SAST
2-min read

Picture: Biblionef

Biblionef South Africa, a non-profit organisation dedicated to providing books, has contributed brand-new storybooks to schools throughout South Africa. These storybooks are available in 11 languages, ensuring a diverse and inclusive reading experience for children.

In addition to schools, children’s organisations across the nation have also benefited from these donations. Biblionef SA’s mission revolves around the distribution of new storybooks in 11 languages to schools and children’s organisations across South Africa, as reported by EWN.

The organisation emphasises the importance of children being able to identify with the characters and settings in the books they read. According to the EWN report, Biblionef SA operates in accordance with UNESCO’s Book Donation Charter and strives to provide quality home-language books that resonate with the stories, characters, and landscapes familiar to South African children.

Sunitha Amod, the general manager of Biblionef SA, expressed their commitment, stating, “Our focus is to ensure that children can access quality home-language books depicting stories, characters, and landscapes they can relate to.”

This initiative aligns with broader efforts to enhance literacy levels, cultivate a reading culture, and create an environment conducive to nurturing a love for reading among South African children.

Amod further highlighted the importance of providing suitable storybooks to the beneficiaries of Biblionef SA, which include primary and high schools, preschools, Early Childhood Development Centres, aftercare centres, children’s homes, drop-in centres, refugee camps, hospitals, and reading clubs.

She underscored the organisation’s dedication to reaching all children in South Africa, including those with disabilities. Biblionef SA’s donations have extended to disabled children, visually impaired schools (with Braille and tactile books), and home intervention programs that support families with deaf or hard-of-hearing infants.

While increased accessibility to books is crucial for improving reading levels in the country, Amod acknowledged that additional components are needed to enhance a child’s reading skills.

This initiative is particularly significant in light of South Africa’s persistent struggle with high illiteracy rates. A 2019 Fact Sheet on Adult Illiteracy in South Africa from the Department of Higher Education and Training revealed that 4.4 million adults in the country were illiterate. More recently, a study conducted in 2021 found that 81% of grade four pupils lacked the ability to read for comprehension.

To address these challenges, Biblionef SA has expanded its book donation program. When funding allows, the organisation conducts training sessions for foundation phase teachers, equipping them with strategies to incorporate storybooks into their lesson plans and effectively teach children to read and write with comprehension.

“We are currently implementing a 2-year project with My School, where we will be externally monitoring and evaluating the impact of our training. We will then assess how these learners’ reading abilities have improved,” Amod reportedly said.

For more information about the book donation process and how to support the cause, visit https://www.biblionefsa.org.za/.

Source : EWN