Blue Crane Book Project: The gift of books and reading

In Somerset East, the Jakes Gerwel Foundation’s Books Project leader Nompumelelo Sokoyi is all set for the annual road to place books in the hands of 3000 foundation phase learners at 18 schools in the Eastern Cape’s Blue Crane Municipality.  

Ms Sokoyi and Jakes Gerwel Foundation’s (JGF) executive director Theo Kemp recently spent a few days packing three brand-new Book Dash books telling local stories in English, Afrikaans, and isiXhosa in 3000 hardy rucksacks made by the Elsies River Bags4Good Project.

Packing books in bags: the Jakes Gerwel Foundation’s Books Project leader Nompumelelo Sokoyi and Abongile Sokoyi (Photo credit: Theo Kemp)

In September JGF’s Book Project team and partner Suidoosterfees visit 18 schools, donating 3000 bags to 3000 learners and treating the children to a vibrant puppet show.

“Each child receives 3 brand-new books, and we also donate books to the schools’ libraries.  Not sure about the exact kilometres, but it covers a rather huge area in the Blue Crane Municipality – Somerset East, Pearston, Cookhouse to Kommadagga and Bracefield,” said Kemp.

Speaking of the impact of the project, Kemp said since the inception of the project in 2018, the project has seen a steady growth annually. Feedback from teachers is that the gift of books does make a difference to the children.

“Not only in helping them with their reading impairments, but also in exposing them to the arts and books. The word ‘belonging’ is key to understanding the impact of these kinds of outreach programmes. If you become an owner of anything – something small like a book, a book bag – you belong. You then become part of a system of wanting to own more– food stability, land, education etc.”

Kemp said ideally, he would like to see more readers being trained to school visits on a weekly basis. Currently, Ms Sokoyi does school visits to help with reading but on an informal basis.

“We do not necessarily want to reach more schools and more children. But we definitely want to deepen our impact.  At this stage we can only afford – funding and capacity wise – to visit the schools once a year. But can you imagine if we can train 30 Nompumelelo’s who are as inspired and equipped to have weekly reading sessions at the schools? There will then be an enormous growth in the learners’ reading abilities, and we will be able to create jobs in an environment bereft of work opportunities. But we are still struggling to secure the necessary funding to be able to give this big step ahead.”

Hampered by a lack of support from government, beleaguered teachers are challenged at every turn by overcrowding in the classrooms and ill-equipped schools.

“The learners come from houses where their parents do not value good education because there are no opportunities – if you are literate or not! So, this vicious cycle won’t be broken by the government; the hands of the civic society must cut the chains.

“But how? We are told by teachers that the book project brings hope; it gives ideas on how to make reading interesting in the classroom. But what about the parents? How will we get them to realise the importance of education? See, for every challenge, for every single question, we need a non-profit to focus on the solution.

“My counter question here is: why is it so difficult to secure funding for a project that should be the vision for all South Africans who want to see our country grow? I mean, it is a no-brainer that without proper education we are mirroring the apartheids regime: we raise generations knowing they will not succeed; knowing they will never be able to fulfil their potential. Our only shared vision must be to invest in the best quality education for all our children, which I do not think is rocket science.

“However, it feels like this is not important to either the government or even the private sector. But, on a more positive note: I will work my butt off to see how we can become totally sustainable, where we create jobs for readers, for seamstresses, for puppeteers and children book writers.

“I want to see more than just book bags in the streets of Somerset East, or children reading from their books during school visits. I want to see local companies sponsoring paint and bricks to build libraries. I want to see parents reading for their little ones.  I would like to see a Jakes Gerwel from the most isolated part of this country to be in parliament, fighting for equality through education,” said Kemp.

Taking a break with the JGF/NATi Jong Sterre 2023 (Front L-R): Mikayla Brown, Nompumelelo Sokoyi and Miché van Wyk. (Back L-R): Geralt Cloete, Cara Rossouw, Miliswa Mbandazayo, Theo Kemp and mentor Lee-Ann van Rooi. (Photo credit: Nash van Zyl)

• On their Facebook Page, Book Dash has this to say about their initiative:

“Children in South Africa need more books, but they cost too much purchased from publishers. The cheapest books have no publisher – then the only cost is printing. So, our participants – illustrators, writers, editors, and designers – who do the work of publishers in a single day. After that, anyone can get print runs sponsored and put original, African storybooks into the hands of children.

We believe every child should own a hundred books by the age of five. In South Africa, that means giving 600 million free books to children who could never afford to buy them. Every day we lose, more children grow up unable to read and write well, and to enjoy the worlds that books open up.”