50 Early Childhood Centres to get books and toys
Biblionef South Africa was able to secure a donation of R156 000 from Wings of Support, a private initiative of the staff of the airline companies KLM and Martinair.
INTRODUCING books to children at an early age is crucial if a culture of reading is to be inculcated in a society.
Thanks to a partnership between City of Johannesburg Library and Information Services and nongovernmental organisation Biblionef, 50 Early Childhood Centres in the City received books and toys on Thursday April 2, benefitting thousands of children from the poorest communities.
Biblionef South Africa was able to secure a donation of R156 000 from Wings of Support, a private initiative of the staff of the airline companies KLM and Martinair. Two of the staff members were guests at the event.
“Education is one of the biggest challenges facing South Africa and, at the moment, the crucial stage of early childhood development is nascent,” said Nobuntu Mpendulo, Director for the City of Johannesburg Library and Information Services Directorate.
The Library and Information Services, in partnership with Biblionef, handed over toys and books to the centres at a function at the Orange Farm Library, which is situated next to Orange Farm Police Station.
The campaign was part of the CoJ’s Growth and Development Strategy (GDS) 2040 and supports the Early Childhood Development strategy of increasing literacy, skills and lifelong learning.
This ties in perfectly with the vision of Biblionef, which is to lay the foundation for children to make good decisions through critical thinking to be able to live balanced and productive lives; to create lifelong readers which results in a society that can make informed decisions; has access to education resulting in a society where everyone is literate, and finds reading both a great pleasure and a necessity.
Biblionef South Africa has, since 1998, supported more than 900 Early Childhood Development centres, and makes books available in all the official languages of South Africa. The organisation donates an average of 12 000 books each month, and has reached nearly four million children.
For more information on Biblionef, visit www.biblionefsa.org.za
