Nal'ibali Reading Clubs

We are full of admiration for the Praesa team who are busy promoting their Nal'ibali Reading Clubs. Nal'ibali means 'Here's the Story' in Xhosa, so: Nal'ibali! 

 The Nal'ibali project is are being sponsored by The Douglas Murray Trust and backed by Avusa, who are publishing supplements in the Times newspaper every Wednesday during term-time. You will start to see these supplements filtering into our Shine Centres over the coming months: they are printed in English and Xhosa in the Western Cape, and we are delighted to be able to use these books in a  multiple of ways: as readers to take home, as books to go home in parent packs, and eventually to be a strong feature in our community initiatives that we are busy working on.

Here is a little bit about the Nal'ibali reading clubs so when you see the supplements, you are familiar with the organisation and their aims:

 'All over South Africa people are starting reading clubs to get young people reading! Some of these clubs have been running for a number of years while others are just starting – but what is common to all of them is that they have caught the story-bug and they don’t want to let it go!

Why do people start reading clubs? These people know how important telling stories, reading and writing are in our lives. They want to provide regular opportunities for children to enjoy listening to stories, reading and writing. They know that as children experience stories and books, they will grow to love them and become better at reading and writing.

So, what is a reading club? It’s a relaxed environment that is more like home than school. Nobody is forced to come – it’s something you choose to do.It’s a place where people who love stories and books meet regularly to read, tell stories and talk about what they are reading with children of all ages. Sometimes they also do other fun activities related to stories and books. And often there’s time for club members to write too… because reading and writing go together. All of these things can happen in any language – in fact, most of the clubs tell and read stories in at least two languages!'

 Many congratulations to the Nal'ibali team, and we are proud to promote the work they are doing.