Volunteers link community and literacy

JOBURG – Rather than pointing fingers at a less than exemplary Department of Education, a group of volunteers is doing what they can to improve the literacy skills of hundreds of primary school pupils.

Headed by Margi Bashall, The Link provides individual coaching in basic literacy, intervention at Grade 2 and 3 levels, and also monitors the pupils’ progress.

“We’ve been running for three years, and will open our eighth centre at Holy Family College, Parktown, in February next year,” said Bashall.

The Link currently has centres in Brixton, Highlands North, Kempton Park, Parkhurst, Parktown, Riversands and Yeoville.

Bashall said the pupils’ literacy skills were first tested, and pupils found to be “at risk” placed in the programme.

“Volunteers meet with the children for two 45-minute sessions every week, in which they help with letter formation and reading skills. The children receive individual attention,” she said.

According to Bashall, the programme is based on Cape Town’s The Shine Centre’s teaching model, and has already seen a few success stories.

“A child at one of the centres couldn’t read, but after three sessions, he had made a vast improvement, and can now read,” said Bashall.

The Link @ Parkhurst manager, Margaret Ross Stewart, said the pupils’ response to the programme was an enthusiastic one.

“It’s exciting for the pupils to come to the sessions. They come charging in, smiles lighting up their faces, and they get very disappointed if their volunteers aren’t there that day,” she said.

Bashall said people who want to volunteer for The Link needn’t have a string of qualifications behind their names.

“All you need is to love children and be able to read. Most of the work we do is what any parent would do for their children,” she said.

The programme makes use of graded reading books, bought with donated funds.

“We opened a trust to fund the centres, and rely completely on donations,” she said.

The Link @ Holy Family manager Lynn Biesheuvel said that, while they were still looking for volunteers for the new centre, all centers could use more volunteers.

“Our Yeoville centre also includes maths literacy, and my dream is to eventually offer maths at all our centres because our children need it. Our motto is ‘Linking community and literacy’. It’s time to stop pointing fingers, and do what we can,” said Bashall.

Details: 083-457-7020; bashall.margi@gmail.com