Four schools in rural Mpumalanga received new libraries that will benefit over 1000 students; each library will go a long way to boosting a love of literacy.
Mpumalanga, South Africa (15 September 2022) – Earlier this year, Breadline Africa put out an appeal to the public to fund much-needed libraries in four rural communities in Mpumalanga. On 8 September, International Literacy Day, the first of these prefabricated structures was officially opened, thanks to the generosity of mining company, Glencore. The funds for three of the libraries were kindly donated by a Glencore employee and matched by Glencore International.
Mogolane Primary School in Marite, Bushbuckridge, takes pride in its academic, socio-economic and cultural diversity, with 641 learners, drawn from a feeder area that is represented by a vibrant and colourful community.
“Thank you to Breadline Africa and Glencore for donating this library to us. This is a dream come true. As we have received this library we will be able to honour the president’s belief that we should have a reading nation.
“Our school is in a rural area where most parents are unemployed, and the majority of learners are living with grandparents who cannot afford to buy books. Now we can instil a love of reading in them.” – Ms Elsie Mahlaka, Mogolane Primary School Principal.
This is one of three prefabricated libraries to be sponsored by Glencore – the other two are located at the nearby Mokokwane and Pitas primary schools. Their literacy interventions will be supported by Breadline Africa’s implementation partner, Room to Read – who generously provided all the books for the new libraries – ensuring that the children obtain maximum benefit from the libraries.
Lesego Mathews, Glencore Coal South Africa’s Community Manager, said: “We believe that, as Glencore, we are a reflection of what our communities are. We are committed to developing our communities. We all know it takes a village to raise a child and we are honoured to be part of this village. Thank you to Breadline Africa and Room to Read for the opportunity to be part of this project.”
The fourth library was sponsored by Breadline Africa’s dedicated individual donors. Between the four libraries, thousands of children will have the opportunity to ‘get lost in a book’
“What a wonderful way to celebrate International Literacy Day. I would like to thank Glencore International and our individual donors for their commitment to helping our children develop a love of reading.” – Marion Wagner, Breadline Africa Executive Director
To find out more about Breadline Africa and the work they do, visit https://breadlineafrica.org/ or follow them on Facebook at @BreadlineAfrica