The Project for the Study of Alternative Education in South Africa (PRAESA), together with Avusa Media, is
launching the Nal'ibali (isiXhosa for “Here's the story)” National Reading for Enjoyment Initiative. The aim is
The Project for the Study of Alternative Education in South Africa (PRAESA), together with Avusa Media, is
launching the Nal'ibali (isiXhosa for “Here's the story)” National Reading for Enjoyment Initiative. The aim is
to encourage and promote reading for enjoyment and storytelling, and to grow a love of reading among children and adults. Some of the ways they envisage doing this is through the establishment of reading clubs; reading at aftercare centres; opening up reading centres in local libraries; supporting home-based clubs as well as reading in clinics and churches.
Nal'ibali will officially launch in the first week of June, and Grahamstown literacy organisations will form part of the network that will promote this exciting campaign, which will include a website and the use of social networking platforms.
Nal’ibali will work on three core levels, i.e. training and research; a national network; and a national awareness campaign.
PRAESA is training mentoring organisations (MOs) in four provinces, and they in turn, will help train reading
club volunteers over the course of the year. These MOs will also each start a demonstration reading club
which welcomes others in the province to come and learn about reading and storytelling with children. These demonstration sites will also allow PRAESA to learn more about how to set up and run sustainable reading clubs, and to disseminate this research. The mentoring organisation for the Eastern Cape is the General Motors SA Foundation in Port Elizabeth.
As one of the lead organisations, PRAESA will also be driving a network of reading clubs, organisations and
individuals who want to start up or support reading clubs, reading centres, circles or groups. They will support this network through 3-4 workshops per year in each province, as well as resources and materials that will be freely downloadable on the Nal’ibali platforms. In Grahamstown, the Grahamstown Literacy Project will be a co-hosting partner for one of these workshops.
Reading club facilitators, literacy organisations and individuals who want to start up reading clubs will be
invited to these workshops at little or no cost.
Nal'ibali, together with Avusa Media, will be running a national awareness campaign to promote the benefits of reading/storytelling to the general public. This will also be an opportunity to showcase the work that organisations do every day on the ground to tackle the literacy challenge in SA. A bilingual weekly supplement will be inserted into several AVUSA publications including stories, activities and other regular features to engage members of the public in this initiative.
Furthermore, reading clubs and organisations that start up reading clubs or encourage reading in various ways and are part of the network, will be eligible to receive additional copies of the Nal'ibali supplement.
Exciting reading times ahead for all!
