By providing parents in Nkomazi with culturally relevant books and training, The Do More Foundation’s Read and Play at Home programme has fostered a deep bond between families, empowering parents to become active participants in their children’s education.
Nkomazi, South Africa (25 September 2024) – For young children, storytime is a magical adventure, whether they’re at school or home. However, the experience becomes even more special when they get to explore fictional worlds with Mom and Dad in their language and through culturally relevant narratives.
With work, responsibilities and the ups and downs of life, parents have a lot on their plates, but for the many moms and dads in Nkomazi, their children’s literacy and education take centre stage!
This heritage month, The Do More Foundation is shining a spotlight on the parents of Nkomazi, who are sparking a lifelong love of reading in their young children using proudly South African books that provide stories that resonate with their own culture and heritage.
At the core of this initiative lies the Read and Play at Home programme, a collaborative effort that emphasises the importance of local languages and cultural contexts in early literacy development.
Jabu Mthembu-Dlamini, the Foundation’s Community Programmes Lead based in Nkomazi, said that parents have a profound impact on their child’s early development by dedicating time each day to read with them.
“The Read and Play at Home programme supports this by incorporating the family’s primary and secondary languages and culturally relevant stories.
“This approach not only promotes cognitive and linguistic development but also strengthens identity, empathy, and academic success. Through such initiatives, parents can help their children flourish in a diverse and interconnected world.”
Early Childhood Development (ECD) practitioner in Nkomazi, Eden Mabila, has observed a remarkable transformation among parents, noting that through the programme they get to see the value of being actively involved in their children’s education from an early age.
“They also understand their role in supporting literacy and learning at home, which has led to better engagement in classroom activities and more enthusiasm from children towards reading. This shift in parental involvement is laying a stronger foundation for children’s literacy development.”
With this initiative, parents are not just spectators; they are active participants in their child’s learning journey.
Parents receive hands-on training about the value of reading and interactive play and carefully selected Book Dash books (two in their home language and one wordless book) that allow them to practice this at home with their child.
The books have been kindly sponsored by MySchool who gave Book Dash a three-year grant to print books for distribution through the Do More Foundation.
The love for reading starts in a child’s early years and is cultivated through playful engagement with books at their ECD centre and at home, the foundation explains.
Since its inception in 2022, Read and Play at Home has empowered over 2,200 parents in Nkomazi with training, resources, and a treasure trove of books.
The goal for 2024/25 is to reach even more families, with plans to support an additional 1,574 parents.
By embracing our rich cultural narratives and engaging in storytelling, parents can empower their children to thrive in all areas – academically, socially and emotionally – in a dynamic and diverse country!
Sources: The Do More Foundation
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