Nokuphila School in Midrand partnered with The Link Literacy Projects to improve the reading skills of its learners.
The Link Literacy programme is a non-profit organisation that supplements and supports the development of literacy and numeracy in children with English as a second language.
The literacy dilemma is further worsened by a lack of qualified teachers. The Love Trust is working on the ground, trying to combat the educational crisis the country currently faces through its focused approach to upskilling and training young teachers.
Link Literacy was started in 2010 by Margi Bashall, a former teacher. The entire project is staffed and runs through a volunteer network – these are community members with the time and passion available to help children from low-income schools.
The programme is implemented to help children achieve their full potential and try to mitigate their risk of being kept behind. The teachers at their partnering schools are consulted, as they need to put children forward for this programme, once they identify a difficulty in reading.
While literacy is a challenge the education department has to deal with, it is clear that organisations such as Nokuphila School and Link Literacy are catalysts for meaningful change.
Link Literacy currently has 17 centres in Johannesburg, with more than 300 volunteers teaching about 800 children weekly.
Many of the learners participating in the programme have never owned storybooks, and this is their first exposure to one-on-one reading time. For children from vulnerable communities, reading is not only about literacy but can also serve as a haven.
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