There are a number of other amazing organisations that are working in innovative ways to develop the literacy skills of young people and impart a love of reading, writing and learning in those that they meet and serve. Here is an alphabetical list of a few of the organisations that we recommend.
African Storybook Project
The African Storybook project has hundreds of illustrated stories in many different African languages that can be freely downloaded. Users are also able to adapt, translate or revise the stories in any way they choose. They also have a writing app so you can upload your own storybooks and add to the creative commons materials available. And, yes, it’s zero-rated on all SA networks.
Biblionef SA
Biblionef donates local and international books to schools across South Africa. It also provides training to reading group facilitators and teachers.
Book Dash
Bookdash produces and distributes beautiful full-colour South African books aimed at pre-school and foundation phase children, and it has a zero-rated site with beautiful storybooks in a wide range of languages. All content is creative commons so can be downloaded, adapted, translated, etc.
Funda Wanda
Funda Wanda develops freely available video and print materials to equip and train foundation phase teachers. Their site is zero-rated on all SA mobile networks.
LITASA
LITASA is a volunteer-run member body with the primary purpose of promoting literacy. Through research, sharing of best practice and community collaboration, it aims to grow a strong literacy community.
Mikhulu Trust
The Mikhulu Trust supports parents of small children inspire a love of books and all the cognitive benefits stories and reading brings through training sessions. It also produces wordless picture books to stimulate book talk.
Nal’ibali
Nal’ibali is a national reading-for-enjoyment campaign for children which promotes storytelling and reading. Its site and reading resources are all zero-rated.
Nal’ibali training site
Nalibali’s mobi site offers courses and resources for reading club leaders. It is also zero-rated.
READ Educational Trust
Read trains teachers and runs projects promoting literacy across all grades. Their site is also zero-rated.
Room To Read
Room to Read South Africa offers a comprehensive Literacy Program that combines home-language classroom instruction with libraries at primary school level. They work in the Eastern Cape, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, and Gauteng, but also produce picture books in all South African languages.
Shine Literacy
Shine works with primary school learners, pairing volunteers with young children to enjoy storybooks together. They also have a StoryTime site (zero-rated) available here.
Thunderbolt Kids
Thunderboltkids develops engaging resources that explore topics in Natural Sciences and Technology for Grades 4 to 6. This is a project of Siyavula.
VulaBula by Molteno Institute for Language and Literacy
Vulabula has graded readers freely downloadable in all South African languages, based on the phonics of each language. These are available from the zero-rated site.
Wordworks WW Home Literacy
This mobi site from the NGO Wordworks supports parents to develop the literacy of their pre-school and grade R and grade 1 children in accessible and creative ways. The sites are zero-rated on SA mobile networks.