Collect-a-Can brings books to pupils

COLLECT-a-Can, in partnership with the Department of Basic Education, will be running a fun-filled Collect-a-Book drive across South Africa in celebration of Mandela Month, July.

The aim of the book drive is to bring books to schools, ultimately improving South Africa’s literacy rate. Millions of pupils in South Africa do not have access to books, while eight out of 10 schools do not have libraries, according to the Department of Basic Education.

During Mandela Month, people around the world are urged to dedicate at least 67 minutes of their time, creating positive changes in their communities in celebration of the 67 years that Nelson Mandela spent fighting for democracy.

Collect-a-Can and partners will be reaching out to underprivileged schools, encouraging pupils to read by bringing books to the children and providing them with the opportunity to listen to inspiring storytellers, ultimately teaching them that reading can be fun.

Selected schools in Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg, Vanderbijlpark and Pretoria will be visited on Friday, 24 July and will benefit from the Collect-a-book drive.

Zimasa Velaphi, public relations and marketing manager for Collect-a-Can, said, “Improving South Africa’s literacy rate by putting books in the hands of children will encourage more individuals to read, which could expose our youth to a world of possibilities.”

ReaderLympics, an organisation that engages children, families, communities and schools in reading activities, will also take part in this initiative.

To get involved in the Collect-a-Book drive, contact the Collect-a-Can headoffice on 011 466 2939 or visit the website, www.collectacan.co.za. Collect-a-Can is also on facebook (https://www.facebook.com/CollectaCan) and Twitter (https://twitter.com/CollectaCan ).

For more information about ReaderLympics, contact Tshepo on 084 404 1548. ReaderLympics is also on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/readerlympics).