Kiwi Shoe Care and Shoprite are teaming up to address South Africa’s growing literacy crisis through an initiative that will see container libraries built in some of South Africa’s most underserved communities in Gauteng, Eastern Cape and KwaZulu- Natal.
The initiative will focus on three regions where the brands believe they can make the greatest impact. Customers who purchase KIWI Shoe Polish tins in these regions can nominate a local school to receive a container library. In October, one winning school will be selected from the nominations in each region.
According to the 2023 Background Report for the 2030 Reading Panel released just six months ago, 81% of grade 4 learners in South Africa cannot read for meaning in any language. The report also showed that South Africa has experienced the largest decline in reading outcomes (-31 points) of all 33 countries/regions with data in 2016 and 2021.
At the same time, South Africans seem to have lost connection with reading in general.
The 2016 National Reading Survey found that 60% of South Africans do not have any books at home and only 7% borrow books from community libraries, while 22% said they had no access to a library. Even when children and adults have access to libraries, reading materials in regional languages are hard to come by.
While the Government has been working to improve literacy and promote reading in certain provinces, the issue remains widespread, and progress is hindered by budget limitations.
This has created a gap for corporates and NGOs to intervene, using both proven methods and new innovations to help tackle this vital societal challenge.
Yvette Modisoatsile, KIWI Brand Manager said, “KIWI is committed to giving back to communities through our education initiatives and schools programme and this is another way we have partnered to try and support learners with access to reading spaces at school. With the scope of the current school literacy crisis in full focus now, we are keen to invest in literacy and reading as a core pillar of education that needs strengthening now to insure the future of our children and our nation.”
The Kiwi Shoe Care and Shoprite competition kicked off in August and will run until October across selected Shoprite stores in the identified three regions.
KIWI aims to partner with literacy NGOs and advocates to ensure the libraries remain stocked with a range of books in English as well as regional dialects and to help schools with resources and support to encourage reading for literacy and for pleasure.
Meanwhile, NGOs are coming up with increasingly innovative approaches to tackle the literacy crisis with Fundza Literacy Trust using mobile technology to get more kids reading on devices and the Click Foundation implementing online English literacy programs that teach students to use a computer while enhancing their reading capabilities.
UNESCO says, ‘Literacy empowers and liberates people. Beyond its importance as part of the right to education, literacy improves lives by expanding capabilities which in turn reduces poverty, increases participation in the labour market and has positive effects on health and sustainable development.’
For this reason, it’s important that South African business, government, NGO’s and communities rally together in new ways to find solutions that empower youth with fundamental literacy skills.
