Nal’ibali launches FUNDA Leader Campaign

On 1 June, the Nal’ibali reading-for-enjoyment campaign will launch a national drive to acknowledge and inspire adults across the country to change the lives of children by sharing books and stories with them. Called FUNDA Leader, this campaign will celebrate the spirit of activism shared by thousands South Africans across the country, and will be launched at the Homecoming Centre in District 6. Three community literacy role models will be celebrated at the event, which will also be attended by local celebrities, Rico Schacherl and Denise Newman, who will be sharing their personal stories on their own road to literacy.

The aim of the campaign is to encourage everyday South Africans to volunteer their time to make storytelling and books part of children’s lives. FUNDA Leaders are adults who care about and respect children. They want to find ways to help children learn and become literate through engaging and sharing stories in fun and meaningful ways. These FUNDA Leaders will then form part of a specialised Nal’ibali activist network, and receive tailored training and support needed to create nurturing environments necessary to foster a valued culture of reading across South Africa.

FUNDA Leader calendar of activities will be shared on Nal’ibali’s social media platforms to let people know what is happening in communities across the country, as well as to inspire others to become reading role models in their communities.

“Far too few children in South Africa have the opportunity to engage with books and stories in a way that is enjoyable and exciting,” said Jade Jacobsohn, Nal’ibali Managing Director.  “In fact, only 5% of caregivers in the country read to their children. As a consequence, there is often a lack of motivation for children to engage in reading, which we know has very direct and very negative implications for future learning success. We would like to encourage all South Africans to get stuck into this very simple and deeply impactful way to help children reach their full potential. Every child deserves this opportunity, and it’s something simple that we all can help achieve.”

The three everyday FUNDA Leaders featured in this campaign are Nosakhe Mabula, Mzwandile Lugogo and Bulelani Futshane.

• Nosakhe Mabula from Masiphumelele is a library cleaner by occupation and runs a reading hour every Wednesday that helps with Early Childhood Development (ECD) and prepares learners for reading competitions.
• Mzwandile Lugogo lives in Site B Khayelitsha. He has created and runs Imbewu Yobomi, his own literacy NGO. Imbewu Yobomi focuses on drama, poetry, reading and storytelling as a medium to keep children in constructive and safe spaces.
• Bulelani Futshane, from Brown’s Farms Cape Town, founded and runs Township Roots, an NPO that provides educational and physical initiatives for students in at-risk communities.

Local celebrities Rico Schacherl and Denise Newman will also be at the launch.

• Rico Schacherl is an Austrian-born illustrator who is best known as the artist for the cartoon series, Madame and Eve. He has spent most of his life living in South Africa and has worked on a wide range of projects, varying from corporate communication to educational projects such as SABC 2’s School TV.
• Denise Newman is an award-winning South African actress whose career started in 1979 at the Space Theatre in Cape Town. Since then she has appeared in numerous films, television shows and theatre productions. Newman has most recently produced and crowdfunded a theatre production called, “Cold Case: Revisiting Dulcie September”.

This launch will be the start of a drive by Nal’ibali to continue supporting and encouraging more people across the country to bring books and stories into the lives of all children.

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