Link volunteers enhance literacy

Instead of being couch potatoes, a group of mostly retired teachers, who are now volunteers, are doing what they can to enhance the literacy skills of hundreds of primary school pupils.

The volunteers at Orange Grove Primary School are part of the Link Literacy Project, which is a non-profit organisation which supports the development of literacy and numeracy in children for whom English is a second language, and who attend low income schools in Johannesburg.

According to one of the project’s co-ordinators in Orange Grove Primary School, Dr Andy Marks, the organisation was founded in 2010 by Margi Bashall, a teacher, who was inspired by Cape Town’s The Shine Centre’s teaching model.

Marks said, “It is managed and staffed by volunteers; members of the community who are committed to making a difference in education.”

The project was recognised by Gauteng educational authorities, and has permission to operate during school hours and work with children in Grade 2 who are identified by valid testing. Marks said they have nine centres at schools in Johannesburg, reaching approximately 700 children every week. The other centres are in Brixton, Highlands North, Kempton Park, Parkhurst, Parktown, Riversands and Yeoville.

The volunteers meet with the pupils for two 45-minute sessions every week, in which they help with letter formation and reading skills, with pupils receiving individual attention.

Another volunteer, Connie Chitterer, a retired teacher who also taught in England, said she always tells her classes they must read to perfect the English language. Chitterer said, “I tell them that a book is your friend: it never fights with you, it’s always there when you want to read, it will never say, ‘I don’t want to play with you’.”

The excitement was evident among the pupils when the North Eastern Tribune visited Orange Grove Primary School, as they came charging into the school hall, smiles lighting up their faces. Two Grade 2 teachers attested that the programme was successful and it improved the performance of many pupils. Teacher Ranjinee Naidoo said, “One of my pupils who started very low is now performing very well in class; the programme also boosted her self-esteem.” Another teacher, Sandra Botha said, “If we can get more from this project more children can be helped.” She added that she also noticed that after the holidays some pupils’ performances drop because they don’t participate in the project.

Marks said people who want to volunteer for The Link Literacy Project needn’t have a string of qualifications, but they need to love children and be able to read. She said, “Most of the work we do is what any parent would do for their children.” A seven-year-old pupil, Erica Nyamukanga said, “I love coming here, I learn how to read properly and keep practising the words, it’s my best day of the week because I also have fun because we also play educational games.”

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