FunDza believes that to impact on literacy among South African teens and young adults, one needs to create a “buzz” around reading and integrate reading into youth culture.
One way of doing this is by leveraging the reach of mobile technology. This is the rationale behind FunDza’s mobi network, which provides a platform through which FunDza can run its programmes: “building a community of readers” and “growing young writers”.
The mobi network includes the FunDza mobi site – http://www.fundza.co.a/mobi – which feeds through a Mxit portal. Find this at:
Mxit > Tradepost > Mxit Reach > Mobi-books > FunDza
This connects teen and young adult readers with new and exciting reading material and with the opportunity to interact with each other and the content. A key part of the initiative is the interactive nature of the platform and being able to also showcase writing from its readers.
The FunDza Fanz section provides young aspirant writers with the opportunity to publish their own work. Thus far FunDza has published writing submitted from LEAP Maths & Science School and also from students at Masiyile High School. We look forward to expanding this section even more in the future. Click here to view the FunDza Fanz section.
FunDza is excited that it is growing its network of content partners. While it is also electronically publishing a lot of original short stories (see She’s the One!, War Stories and Who is K?, amongst others), it is also asking writers and publishers to provide FunDza with material that is relevant to its teen/young adult audience.
Townsend Press, from the United States, has provided FunDza with the right to publish electronically their hugely popular non-fiction title Brother to Brother. This recounts the real-life experiences of 10 black American men. “Each in his own way has given careful thought to what it means to be a Black man in America. Each feels a deep concern for and obligation to the younger Black men growing up in America,” the introduction notes. Click here to read the book.
New Readers Publishers, an imprint of the University of KwaZulu-Natal Press, has also provided FunDza with access to a wide range of their titles which are available in a variety of South Africa’s official languages. The story “Shooooooes!” is about professional soccer player Leonard Gregory who ends up having to reinvent who he is following an accident. Click here for the English version.
Against the Wind tells the stories of five ordinary black South Africans who did things that no other black South African had done previously. Click here to read it.
And, Sibongile Sithole tells her story in Beer, Songs and Quarrels. In the book she talks about how life used to be: “Sharing curry recipes in Glebeland before forced removals; hiding in terror from the white valiant car; giving birth to her daughter and being discharged from hospital on the same day without a cent in her pocket; her husband’s drinking, girlfriends and violent ways; a very strange funeral and folk tales told to her by her mother…” Read the isiXhosa version here.
Conversations with Lungile is proving to be one of FunDza’s most popular mobi-books. It is written by Sonwabiso Ngcowa, a young writer from Masiphumelele. Each month, FunDza is uploading a new chapter of this book. Click here to read the first three chapters. FunDza Fanz have said about it:
“Interesting, educational and enjoyable to read yet sad. Amusing at times, I like… And I mostly love the positive attitude kaLungile. Great!” – Talitha
“Wow!Powerful, deep and touchy. A very nice piece of work. Who says words in print have no life? I had a friend read this and he related to it and almost cried.” – Gloria
Cover2Cover Books has also allowed FunDza to publish the first book in its popular Harmony High series – Broken Promises – on the FunDza site. Click here to read it online.
Thanks also goes to Jane Notten for allowing FunDza to publish electronically extracts from her book My Success, Your Success: Top tips from South African women entrepreneurs. FunDza believes that these stories can be hugely valuable and inspirational to young people as they begin to plan their futures. Read these in the Non-Fiction – Books section.
If you are a writer or publisher who would like to get involved in this initiative, please contact Ros Haden on ros@fundza.co.za to find out about the type of content that we are seeking.
And, if you’d like to sponsor content or have technology solutions that would help FunDza to fulfil its aims of popularising reading, building communities of readers and growing young writing talent, please contact Mignon Hardie (mignon@fundza.co.za) or Nicci Giles (nicci@fundza.co.za).