What is a FUNda Leader? | Nal'ibali
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Become a literacy volunteer

Join our passionate literacy volunteers across the country, who give their time telling and reading stories to South African children.

What is a FUNda Leader?

FUNda Leaders are everyday heroes – literacy activists across the country who take time to bring stories and books to children in whatever way they can. They are the foot-soldiers who work to make reading and activism a reality in South Africa!

 

 

Nal’ibali works with many partners to strengthen multilingual literacy through advocacy, training and support of reading clubs. We are continually inspired by these heroes – from teachers and parents to librarians, volunteers and all book- loving individuals. These are the FUNda Leaders who have started a wave of change in South Africa!

We celebrate each and every one of them as literacy heroes, and call on YOU to join us to create a better life for all children.

FUNda Leaders:


  • are adults who care about and respect children
  • want to help children learn and become literate through fun and relaxed interaction with stories
  • are willing to be reading role models in their communities

  • are eager to share their storytelling and reading know-how with others, or to learn how it’s done.

What support do we offer FUNda Leaders?

ANYONE can be a FUNda Leader. Once you sign up, you’re automatically connected to the Nal’ibali network. Nal’ibali will follow your journey, and aim to assist you with the training and support you may need for your literacy activities. We are here to help and guide you as you create change in your community!

We will also feature your work via our media network. We encourage you to share your experiences on social media or through direct communication with us. For example, you can post pictures of your reading club or literacy activities on the Nal’ibali Facebook page, so everyone can see the difference you’re making. Or you can invite local Nal’ibali representatives to visit your literacy activities. We’ll also aim to connect you with other FUNda Leaders around the country so that you can collaborate, share ideas, join bigger events or just grow your network of literacy activists. With your help, we will create a far- ranging and powerful band of change-makers!

From time to time, Nal’ibali will present exclusive offers and competitions to active FUNda Leaders. Through these events, you can benefit from further resources like new books, promotional materials, gift vouchers and visits by well-known authors.

The most active FUNda Leaders from across the country will also gather once a year for a celebratory event. Here, your efforts and contributions will be recognised and rewarded in front of your peers and other industry role players!

Once you are signed up, you will be registered as part of Nal’ibali’s official network. We will then create a personal profile for you on our systems. As you share your literacy experiences and photographs with us on social media and via email, we will record all of your activity on your profile. This helps us to get to know you better, so that we can make sure we contact you with information and opportunities that are most relevant to your interests.

How to get going

You can also access the Kick-off Kit – which is full of ideas to get you get started on your literacy activist journey straight away. It is also packed full of links to resources – stories, activities, rhymes, etc – in a variety of South African languages that can help fuel your journey.

For free, fun and inspirational FUNda Leader training, call us at 02 11 80 40 80 or email us at info@nalibali.org. To qualify for this, you need to gather together a group of 10 or more other FUNda Leaders (recruit some friends and family to join you). Then contact us and one of our excellent Literacy Mentors will be in touch. If demand for training is very high, we will reach out first to those in our network who are the most active.

Now join the REVOLUTION!

Remember to share your photos and experiences with us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and via email (info@nalibali.org) , so that we can track your activity, celebrate your efforts, and make sure we respond to you with inspiration, motivation and as much support as possible. And at the end of each year we will bring together the most active and committed of our FUNda Leaders at a national conference where their efforts will be recognised and rewarded.

So talk to us and let’s create a growing network of powerful individuals who strive to create a culture of reading in SA – one child at a time.