“A literate, educated society is a safer, healthier, and more prosperous society.”
So says Imraan Noorbhai, Standard Bank’s provincial head in KwaZulu-Natal.
It is with this philosophy in mind that the bank has launched its literacy project – “Every Child Must Read”.
According to a UN Development Programme literacy survey, South Africa lags behind other African countries like Zimbabwe, Namibia, Equatorial Guinea, Lesotho and Libya, in spite of its huge investment in education over the past 20 years.
Basic Education Minister, Angie Motshekga, called on South Africans to make us a nation of readers last year. And so the Department of Basic Education launched the One Thousand School Libraries campaign – 1 000 libraries, reading corners or container libraries are to be built or refurbished to ensure that by 2019 every school has access to adequate reading material.
Of course, government cannot accomplish it all on its own. So here is where business steps in to help in attaining these goals.
Noorbhai says: “Many KZN learners come from communities which do not have libraries and it is shown that access to libraries improves learner performance and increases their chances of success. Without proper resources there can be no equity in education.”
Standard Bank will provide mobile libraries to serve schools located close to their major branches in KZN – namely the Newcastle, Pietermaritzburg, Richards Bay, Durban/Westville, Phoenix/uMhlanga and Chatsworth/Pinetown areas.
“It is envisaged that the introduction of these mobile libraries to the previously disadvantaged schools will go a long way towards improving the literacy rate in our province,” says Noorbhai.