Promoting literary content in various South African languages. Picture: Etienne Creux
For the World Literacy Day, the Fundza Literacy Trust is stepping up its commitment to enhance literacy across South Africa. The Trust has announced its partnership with the Literacy Promotion Collective, an initiative that includes key players such as the Presidency and the Department of Basic Education (DBE).
This partnership was formalised through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed recently. The MoU is set to pave the way for greater collaboration between the DBE and Fundza, aiming to boost access to reading and writing resources for students through Fundza’s fee-free mobisite.
Joining Fundza in this collective effort are notable non-profits like Nal’ibali, Room to Read, Better Africa, and SAPESI. Together, they form a united front to improve literacy, promote multilingualism, and support language development across the nation.
“The Literacy Promotion Collective represents a crucial move towards recognising the importance of teamwork and solidarity needed to advance literacy among South Africa’s youth,” says Nadeema Musthan, executive director at Fundza Literacy Trust.
Under the new agreement, the DBE will work with Fundza to:
Minister of Basic Education, Siviwe Gwarube, emphasised the importance of this collaboration: “Our goal is to significantly increase youth engagement with reading and writing activities on Fundza’s platform.
“The enhanced analytics will provide the DBE with valuable insights into user behaviour, helping us refine our approach and extend the reach of digital literacy resources.”
Musthan also highlighted the role of the Literacy Promotion Collective in supporting the DBE’s “Read to Lead” campaign. “Our participation, alongside other collective members, will provide open-access children’s books and reading lists that boost literacy skills. This effort will significantly enhance engagement with young readers.”
Additionally, Fundza aligns with UNESCO’s belief that mother tongue-based education is essential for effective learning. The Literacy Promotion Collective will focus on promoting literary content in various South African languages, emphasising stories and articles in local languages.
“We’re excited about this collaborative effort with all literary stakeholders in our country. It’s an opportunity to underline the importance of reading, writing, and language, celebrating significant dates such as World Poetry Day, World Book Day, National Youth Day, Mandela Day, and, of course, World Literacy Day,” Musthan concluded.
IOL