Can you read this?

If you can, then you are part of the lucky group of persons who are able to read and write. Over 70 million children worldwide have no access to education and over 800 million people over the age of 15 are illiterate, two-thirds of them are women. Without the ability to read and understand what is written, citizens around the world will always be left behind and taken advantage of.

Rotary celebrates Literacy month in March of each year and Clubs around the world have embraced this with some magical projects reaching out to their respective communities and trying to improve the literacy levels at local level.

One such example is the Usborne Illustrated English Dictionary project which is headed up by PDG Michael Johnson from D9350. Over the years Michael and his team have brought into the country over 60 000 books for distribution by the local Rotary Clubs. When I was introduced to this project during my DG Elect year I wrote an email to Michael and it is worth repeating here.

January 2009...Dear Michael

I met with a client of mine two weeks ago. A simple man with not much education who runs a pub and disco. He was relating to me his life story and how he battled to bring up his three children (all girls) who today have excelled at school and in their professional lives. His eldest daughter is a civil engineer and manager for a large construction company in Johannesburg. His second daughter qualified as a medical doctor in December last year and his youngest daughter is a 5^th year medical student. What was his secret to ensuring their success, you may ask?

Well, you have to believe this. He said that when they started to read, he bought each a dictionary and a notebook. He requested each of them to write down the word they did not understand into this notebook. He then taught them how to use the dictionary and each had to write down the meaning of the word. He talked at great length of how he would sit with them each evening going through these words and how each learnt from the other. He said that within years they had developed a substantial vocabulary which now holds them in good stead in their lives. This truly inspired me and a dictionary will be the first book that I shall buy for my grandchildren when they arrive sometime in the future.

Well over the years I have purchased these books for my extended grandchildren (my nephews’ and nieces’ children) and given them to grandchildren of friends. I still have a few in store awaiting my grandchild in the not too distant future. For more information on the Dictionary project logon onto www.dictionariesforafrica.com

 

Another compelling project is a partnership with Sunday Times which began in 2009. They produce a series of stories under the title “Story Time” for young children from grade R to grade 6 and circulate these to most primary schools in South Africa. These are stories written by talented SA authors and illustrators putting together this magical collection of stories. The book has 10 stories and is available in English, Afrikaans, isiXhosa and isiZulu. A treasured storybook can be just the thing to spark a love of reading in children. Books can be obtained by emailing Vasanthee Moodley on vasanthee@iafrica.com

 

Other noteworthy projects include:

(a)  District 9400’s humanitarian distribution centre in Gauteng which provides books, wheelchairs, linen, etc.

(b)  A partnership with Wimpy and the DG Murray Trust which yielded R20m books for schools.

 

Literacy is the cornerstone to a nation’s success. One of the focus areas of Rotary is supporting education. The goal is to strengthen the capacity of communities to support basic education and literacy, reduce gender disparity in education and increase adult literacy. What can you and your Club do to improve the literacy levels within your community? Here are some suggestions:

(a)  Improve access to books and other learning materials by donating books, dictionaries and supporting the establishment of a library.

(b)  Support schools and teachers by adopting a school and assisting with teacher training

(c)  Enhance classroom learning by introducing early childhood literacy, student mentoring

(d)  Introduce an adult literacy programme and/or lend support to local organisations who provide such service e.g. Operation Upgrade

I want to encourage Clubs in Southern Africa to embrace the opportunity for making a difference, by engaging with the role players within your communities and make a difference in the literacy standards by adopting significant programmes that will improve the lives of those in need.

Literacy is at the heart of basic education for all and essential for eradicating poverty, reducing child mortality, achieving gender equality and ensuring sustainable development, peace and harmony. It is for this reason that literacy is the core of education for all.

Rotary provides us with a wonderful opportunity to share, to give a gift, to take responsibility together and to encourage others. It also provides us with an opportunity to improve the skills of people so that they are given a better chance of success after all we all have the same dreams, hopes, needs and goals.

 

Natty Moodley

Rotary Africa

March 2014