Mikhulu Trust Launches “Books That Build Little Voices” This Literacy Week

Photo Credit: Ksenia Chernaya via Pexels

Because a child’s learning starts from the smallest everyday moments, the Mikhulu Trust has launched wordless picture books carefully crafted to spark curiosity, transforming the ordinary mealtimes and shopping trips into extraordinary opportunities for connection and discovery.

Cape Town, South Africa (10 September 2025) – The power of a wordless picture book holds incredible developmental value for a growing little mind long before they enter school.

And it’s in recognising this value that the Mikhulu Trust is proud to launch Books That Build Little Voices, a campaign celebrating the power of these picture books this Literacy Week.

According to the Trust, literacy is often seen as beginning in the classroom, but research shows the foundations start much earlier, like in everyday interactions between parents and their young children, long before children are even able to speak.

Between the ages of 1 and 2, children’s brains are at their peak stage for language development. Regular, back-and-forth interactions with caregivers during this time give children the strongest boost for developing language and other important pre-literacy skills.

Mikhulu Trust is a non-profit organisation that works at the intersection of parenting, early childhood development and violence prevention. By supporting parents to develop nurturing and positive relationships with their young children, we help to reduce violence in the home and help children develop better.

One part of Mikhulu Trust’s work uses wordless picture books to help parents and children bond, while also stimulating their pre-literacy skills, such as language development, concentration, and socio-emotional skills. It builds the capacity of community-facing workers to introduce book-sharing to families that they work with, and all families it works with receive copies of its books.

Mikhulu’s wordless picture books are designed especially for young children, depicting images with realistic, relatable scenes of daily life in South Africa, such as mealtimes, play, bathing, and shopping.

These everyday moments, as opposed to stories of fantasy, are especially key between ages 1 – 2 because they spark conversation, which helps build bonds between parents and their children. Additionally, as research shows, children learn best from books with real, relatable images, stimulating the brain and supporting language development.

“Children don’t just listen to books — they live them,” says Kaathima, Director.
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“When stories reflect their everyday world, they make sense of language faster. Our wordless books turn mealtimes, playtime, and family routines into powerful moments of learning and bonding.”

The Books That Build Little Voices campaign will share research insights and practical tips on using wordless books at home and in early learning programmes. Books can be viewed on the website and purchased directly from Mikhulu at the Early Learning Centre in Athlone.

To get books into your programmes, contact Mikhulu here.

By making small interventions accessible to every family, Mikhulu Trust is helping children across South Africa grow stronger early language skills – the true foundation for literacy and brighter futures.