A portion of all proceeds goes to charity
help2read
help2read, a child literacy organisation, provides literacy support in over 100 schools in South Africa with the help of a large group of enthusiastic adult volunteers. They follow a simple model whereby volunteers are recruited, trained and placed in schools where reading support is needed for disadvantaged primary school learners.
help2read's volunteer reading helpers work on a one-on-one basis with each child, reading together and playing games to make reading a fun rather than a dreaded activity. These regular half hour sessions soon develop the child's confidence and self-esteem and build rapport between the pair. Each reading helper receives a box full of colourful and fun books, from which the children like to pick their favourites. Children are helped for up to a year, in which time their literacy skills often improve in leaps and bounds.
Why they need your help now:
According to international tests, almost 80% of South African pupils have not developed basic reading skills by the time they reach Grade 5. South African pupils recently achieved the lowest score compared to children in 39 other countries! A child who leaves primary school unable to read is almost doomed to fail in secondary school and, as a result, will experience a life of limited opportunity. The encouraging news is that interventions aimed at increasing literacy levels at an early stage have been shown to greatly increase the chances of success in secondary education. It has been well documented that reading can open new worlds.
If you don't have the time to volunteer as a help2read reading helper, but would like to contribute to this important cause through Books4Change, please consider to:
- Purchase any of the books on this page that have been donated to be sold in aid of help2read;
- Donate your new or used books to be sold on Books4Change. Donations can be delivered either to help2read's Rosebank office (Cape Town), or to our office in the Strand. Please contact us for more details.
Please see the books for sale below, and help spread the word about help2read with this handy social widget:
