Blog | Nal'ibali

Blog

A rondavel in rural Mahlubini seemed an unlikely venue for first time author Aviwe Gudula, to read from her book, ‘Journey of her Scars to Womanhood’. Yet the intimate setting yielded a unique experience for the youth at Mahlubini Community Reading Club, in the town of Cofimvaba, in the Eastern Cape. In the final days of Women’s Month, Nal’ibali literacy mentor, Asiphe Mkumbuzi, invited...
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In honour of Nelson Mandela and in the spirit of giving, Nal’ibali took part in various activities throughout July, that were dedicated to making a positive change in vulnerable children’s lives and their education. Mandela once said, ‘It is in your hands to make our world a better one for all,” and with this in mind, the Nal’ibali Cape Town team decided to give their attention...
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The strong arm of the law showed a much softer side when Bowmans, a leading African law firm visited some Nal'ibali reading clubs in townships in Durban, Johannesburg, and Cape Town, to read a story aloud, have a cup of tea and something sweet with some Nal’ibali bookworms. This was part of their Nelson Mandela Day initiative, earlier this month. This year, as one of...
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In a tree or upside down, alone or with a friend, this year Nal’ibali’s community of readers got caught doing what they enjoy best – reading. Nal’ibali, the nationwide reading-for-enjoyment campaign, recently dared their Literacy Mentors to send us photos of their reading clubs reading in the most unusual way they could think of for the Get Caught Reading challenge. Nal’ibali FUNda Sonke members...
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Nal’ibali, the national reading-for-enjoyment campaign aimed at sparking children’s potential through reading and storytelling, has been awarded The Joy of Reading Prize by the Systematic Joy of Reading at Dook 1 in Aarhus, Denmark. The award was presented by the president of the International Library Association, IFLA, Glòria Pérez-Salmerón from Spain on Saturday, 1 June. Twenty-eight projects from around the world were nominated, focussing on...
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Nal’ibali – South Africa’s reading-for-enjoyment campaign – will be launching four mobile libraries in select townships in KwaZulu-Natal, the Eastern Cape, the Western Cape, and Gauteng. The first launch will take place at Site B Library in Khayelitsha on Friday, 31 May from 10: 00am. Members of the public will be able to find out more about the  Story Power in Motion mobile libraries as...
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I was born and bred in the township of Umlazi in KwaZulu-Natal. It is the fourth largest township in South Africa, and the only township with its own car registration plate: NUZ. In Umlazi, there is a small section called Chicago where I have lived for the past 21 years, although I still couldn’t tell you how it came to be named Chicago! One...
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The South African Book Development Council along with various organisations who are championing reading promotion in South Africa, will be taking to social media to engage citizens on why reading for leisure is so important. Be a part of the conversation as we celebrate World Book Day with the launch of #readbecause. At 12pm on Tuesday, 23 April 2019.   Literacy organisations responding to the growing...
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Early language development is rooted in the interactions children have with their parents, caregivers and peers. It is with this understanding that the statistics are unsettling: eight out of every ten South African nine-year-olds are unable to read for meaning in any language. Statistically speaking, that’s an alarming 78%. If nothing is done, these children will grow up unable to participate effectively and fully...
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National reading-for-enjoyment campaign, Nal’ibali, is launching a loyalty programme for South Africans committed to making a difference in children’s reading development. Known as FUNda Sonke, isiXhosa for ‘everyone read’, the programme seeks to grow and support the campaign’s network of more than 17 000 literacy volunteers, known as FUNda Leaders, nationwide. Launched in 2016 in response to public demand, the FUNda Leader network brings South Africans...
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