AVBOB to launch Road to Literary Trolley Library campaign

To instil a culture of reading and contribute to improving the numeracy skills of primary school children across the country, Avbob will launch the second year of the AVBOB Road to Literacy Trolley Library campaign in partnership with Oxford University Press (OUP) on March 1.

The campaign will give away 260 trolley libraries equipped with books donated by OUP Southern Africa that represent the 11 official South African languages, numeracy books and other learning resources to deserving primary schools and education NPOs.

Kebo Mosweusweu, the AVBOB general manager of shared value and sustainability, indicated that included in this year’s campaign is the availability of reading resources in mother-tongue languages.

“Through various studies, experts have found that teaching in a mother-tongue language helps to reduce dropout rates and makes education more accessible and engaging for learners. Equally important is the need to develop numeracy skills at the formative ages of children. Through this year’s campaign, we aim to further reinforce our commitment to instilling a love of reading in primary school learners nationally,” said Mosweusweu.

Mosweusweu said the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study’s (PIRLS) latest findings show that 78% of Grade Four learners in South Africa could not read with meaning in any language because they are not taught basic literacy in the language they speak at home.

“This means only 22% of the country’s 10-year-olds understand what they have read,” said Mosweusweu.
Hanri Pieterse, the managing director of OUP Southern Africa, expands on the importance of children reading in their mother tongue.

“A good reader needs a developed written vocabulary to read with meaning. This is why a child must learn how to read in their mother tongue. When they do, they develop this written vocabulary more easily because the words they read match the words they hear and speak,” explained Pieterse.

Pieterse said OUP Southern Africa is South Africa’s leading literacy publisher and has donated 130 000 books in all 11 official languages to this campaign.

“In 2022, 180 trolley libraries were given to the winning recipients. This year, that number has increased by 80 to 260 trolley libraries. The trolley libraries are sturdy structures fitted with wheels. They are used to store the books that are being manufactured by AVBOB Industries in Bloemfontein.

“Last year, each trolley library was equipped with 430 books whereas, in 2023, each trolley will be delivered with 500 books. Each Avbob Road to Literacy trolley library has a value of R50 000. The total investment value for the 2023 campaign is R13m, an increase from R10m in 2022,” said Pieterse.

How to nominate a school?

Calls for nominations for this year’s campaign will open on March 1 at 09:00. The public is encouraged to take part by submitting electronic nominations explaining why their choice of school or educational NPO deserves to win a trolley library equipped with books.

To nominate a school or an educational NPO, the nominator must include the desired language for the library so that the winners can receive books in their preferred language. Nominators can nominate deserving primary schools or educational NPOs who serve learners in Grades R to seven.

To nominate your beneficiary, please click HERE.

The handover of the trolley libraries to the winners will be facilitated by Avbob local offices in partnership with OUP and representatives from the winning schools/NPOs.

Traditionally, information literacy has been the domain of the school librarian. Only 16.82 % of South African schools have a stocked library.

With so few school libraries and no official position in schools for a qualified school librarian, the onus for teaching information literacy thus rests on the teacher.