Volunteers join world literacy drive

Prestwich Primarys Grade 1s listen to Melany Kuhn reading a story.

Volunteers from an auction group in Green Point visited Prestwich Primary School on World Read Aloud Day, Friday February 1, to read to the pupils.

World Read Aloud Day is a global initiative celebrated in over 173 countries to encourage people to read books aloud to pupils in different languages.

Last year ClareMart partnered with the Shine Literacy Centre at Prestwich as a Corporate Social Investment (CSI) project.

“Instead of buying corporate gifts for the clients, we donated money on behalf of the clients and the partnership was formed and it was meant to be an ongoing thing,” said Melany Kuhn, head of PR.

Ms Kuhn said the company was passionate about literacy and education and World Read Aloud Day was a great opportunity for staff to spend their time and read to the children.”

“It’s important for us to spread the message of the importance of reading and literacy and getting our children as literate as quickly as possible,” she said.

The staff read one story to nine classes from Grade 1 to 3 in Xhosa, English and Afrikaans.

The Shine Centre Manager at the school, Zethu Mtati, said they usually mark the day on their own and they’re grateful that the auction group came on board.