The human rights subcommittee of the Stellenbosch University (SU) chapter of the United Nations Association of South Africa (UNASA) is running a book and stationery drive, between 8 November and 8 December 2021, to provide reading and learning materials to local learners.
This was according to Chelsea Mujuru, the executive of the human rights subcommittee for UNASA. Mujuru said the committee noticed that libraries in the town’s poorer communities were “run down”.
“We want to be able to ensure that, even after school, children can just go sit in a corner and read, and just be children,” she said.
Thus far, the Stellenbosch University (SU) chapter of the United Nations Association of South Africa (UNASA) has managed to collect several textbooks and writing materials. Chelsea Mujuru, the executive of the human rights subcommittee for UNASA, noted that “education” is the human right that the organisation will be focussing on this academic term. PHOTO: Caitlin Maledo
Mujuru noted that when enough books have been collected, the committee will be donating the books to the Legacy Centre, a non-profit organisation based in Kayamandi. The centre provides school-going children with facilities to do their homework, play sports and engage in various other after-school programmes.
“We have worked with the Legacy Centre in Kayamandi for a long time and this is meant to be a surprise for them when we reconvene our volunteering with them at the beginning of [next] year,” said Mujuru.
The Legacy Centre is an organisation based in Kayamandi that offers after-school programmes to scholars in and around the area. The programmes are available for scholars from grade one to grade 12. This was according to Khanyisa Mgudlwa, a facilitator at the Legacy Centre. PHOTO: Caitlin Maledo
At present, Khanyisa Mgudlwa — a facilitator at the Legacy Centre — noted that FunDza is the only organisation that has provided the centre with reading and learning materials.
“FunDza sponsored us with lots of books, so I was using those stories to teach the children literacy: how to read and write, and how to understand the stories,” said Mgudlwa. “We are open enough to UNASA, as well, if they came up with something that will benefit the kids,” she added, unaware of the project that the organisation is currently working on.
UNASA assists the centre every Wednesday by engaging with the scholars through various educational activities, said Mgudlwa. She added that the organisation has been very helpful.
The Legacy Centre provide facilities for scholars to learn and engage with their schoolwork in healthy and productive ways, according to Khanyisa Mgudlwa, a facilitator at the Legacy Centre. UNASA’s Siyafunda subcommittee assists the centre every week. PHOTO: Caitlin Maledo
The illiteracy issue
According to the Nal’ibali website, “the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) assessing children’s reading comprehension has placed South African children last in 50 countries”. The 2016 report also noted that 78% of grade four learners in the country were unable to read in any national language. Nal’ibali is a national campaign that promotes reading-for-enjoyment among school-going children, according to Bulelani Futshane, the national partnership coordinator at Nal’ibali.
Bulelani Futshane, the national partnership coordinator at Nal’ibali, discusses literacy in South Africa and the importance of children reading for enjoyment. AUDIO: Caitlin Maledo
“In South Africa, we do have a challenge when it comes to literacy,” said Futshane, referring to the PIRLS. “Part of the reason why we have these challenges is because we don’t have enough books accessible to the children, in their home languages.”
Futshane highlighted that Nal’ibali has free educational supplements available at the Matieland Post Office branch and online.
The Legacy Centre provides scholars with after-school programmes which promote good ways for scholars to engage with their schoolwork. The Stellenbosch University chapter of the United Nations Association of South Africa often assists the centre and are currently running a book and stationery drive to help the centre even more. VIDEO: Caitlin Maledo