Nal’ibali inspires children through reading and storytelling

POLOKWANE – In celebrating the fourth annual Polokwane Literary Fair and coinciding with National Book Week, Nal’ibali hosted a programme for children at the Polokwane library last Friday.

Nal’ibali (Xhosa for Here’s the story) is a national campaign driven by the Project for the Study of Alternative Education in South Africa, which focuses on reading for enjoyment in an attempt to spark children’s potential through storytelling and reading.

Children from Snell Phoshoko Primary School, Dorothy Langa Primary School, Care Bear Day Care, Mother Goose Day Care and Sunshine Day Care were brought to the library for a morning of fun and entertainment.

The children started their morning by playing games enjoyed by all. They were later treated to a puppet show and a story told by Rinae Sikhwari, coordinator of Nal’ibali.

Rinae has worked for Nal’ibali for two and a half years and believes in Nal’ibali’s mission to create conditions across South Africa that inspire and sustain reading practises in a variety of settings.

“It is all about reading for enjoyment,” she says.

Lorraine Phala, an employee at the library, said events like these are important as they promote literacy. She believes that reading is an important skill to have.

Nal’ibali encourages this by developing the reading skills of children and encouraging them to read more.