Building a love of reading in rural South Africa

In the heart of Boschfontein, a small rural community in Mpumalanga, children are eager to learn but face a challenge that limits their potential — low literacy levels. At Isabel Academy, we launched a reading and literacy programme to help our learners build strong reading foundations and unlock a lifelong love of learning. Many of our students come from homes where parents and grandparents cannot read, making it hard to support their children’s learning. Through this programme, we are working to change that story, one book, one family, one storytime at a time.

Our reading sessions go beyond the classroom. We invite parents and grandparents to join storytelling nights, where families learn, share, and rediscover the joy of reading together. Already, we are seeing children gain confidence, curiosity, and imagination, and families finding new ways to connect through stories. Your contribution helps us provide books, learning materials, and support for our reading facilitators. Together, we can build a culture of reading in rural South Africa and give every child the chance to...