'Story Powered Schools' project inspires young readers to be leaders
While the deadline nears for readers to pledge being part of a national readathon record, World Read Aloud Day marked a new chapter for young learners, in the rural schools of KZN and the Eastern Cape, to have better access to books and stories.
National reading-for-enjoyment campaign, Nali Bali has partnered with USAID and the Department of Basic Education to launch the Story Powered Schools project in Durban today - targeting selected needy schools in those provinces.
The initiative aims to encourage children to not only read for enjoyment but also develop reading skills at an early educational level.
And #WorldReadAloudDay events with @nalibaliSA have begun! Help reach 510,000 children...record your reading! https://t.co/zEAZ7OFJIL pic.twitter.com/uRhL0j07UN
— USAID SouthernAfrica (@USAID_SAfrica) February 16, 2017
Director of Nali Bali, Jade Jacobsohn says the project has been two years in the making.
"We started developing the programme in line with what USAID's mission is in terms of development work in the education sector in Africa. Over the period of two years we developed different types of programmes we started something that was moulded and shaped into what it is today. The Department of Education is a crucial part [of the puzzle], and helped seal the deal," she said.
She says the initiative seeks to change children's perceptions and interactions with reading and storytelling. Listen below.
Today, the goal is to break the South African read-aloud record and reach a little over half a million children. Last year - a total of 365 000 children were reached.