Rally to Read, founded by Brand Pretorius, was established in 1998 assisting the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) deliver stationery to 12 rural schools in Kwa-Zulu Natal. An opportunity to provide educational resources and teacher training was realised and acted upon. Their mandate became clear: to revive the thousands of failing rural primary schools across the country that do not receive the needed support from the department of education.
After 21 years, Rally to Read and their partners have proven their commitment to bettering the educational landscape of South Africa. They have assisted roughly 1600 schools, which translates into approximately 12 000 teachers and 250 000 children across South Africa. Pretorius says, “Rally To Read is South Africa’s leading and most sustainable literacy programme aimed at enhancing the quality of rural education,” with over R91-million being raised since its conception.
Rally to Read and partners deliver needed resources at “rallies” during the weekend at locations near the schools in need. In 2019 alone, there are six confirmed rallies in Mpumalanga, Kwa-Zulu Natal, Eastern Cape, and the Western Cape.
The next rally will be in Kwa-Zulu Natal on the 31st of August 2019. President Cyril Ramaphosa has praised the efforts of this initiative saying, “Rally to Read is an extraordinary story – of caring, collaboration, and hope.”
For more information on Rally to Read, visit www.rallytoread.co.za
