Saheti School literacy initiative to expand nationally after successful pilot
With 2026 being its pilot year, the Khula Book Collective by the Saheti School Pre-Play School PTA has collected 1 859 books for redistribution to under-resourced schools.
On World Book Day 2026, the Saheti School community had something remarkable to celebrate.
The Khula Book Collective, a school-led literacy initiative founded by the Saheti School Pre-Play School Parent Teacher Association (PTA), concluded a landmark pilot year.
Learners and families collected an extraordinary 1 859 books for redistribution to under-resourced schools and early childhood development centres across South Africa.
Rooted in the African value of Ubuntu, the Khula Book Collective mobilised school learners and their families to donate new and gently-used children’s books.
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A member of the Saheti Pre Play School PTA Exco, Andrew Cox, said this was not simply for a one-off distribution, but for placement in structured, sustainable reading environments.
In partnership with Breadline Africa, a leader in establishing school and community libraries, every donated book was directed into a lasting infrastructure designed to create long-term educational impact.
“If early childhood development is the cornerstone of education, then books are its bricks. The Khula Book Collective exists to make sure no child builds without them,” states the Khula Book Collective, SAHETI School PTA.
Proven impact: 1 859 books and counting
Cox said the books collected were a figure that spoke not only to the generosity of the Saheti community, but also to the scalability of the Khula model.
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He said the pilot demonstrated that school communities were ready to step up and that, when given a structured and purposeful way to give, they did so wholeheartedly.
Through its partnership with Breadline Africa, the 1 859 books collected by the Saheti community were donated to Carter Primary School and Emfundisweni Primary School in Alexandra.
The books were incorporated into the schools’ libraries and reading resources, helping expand access to age-appropriate reading material and supporting a stronger culture of literacy among learners.
“Rather than being handed out and forgotten, the books became part of structured educational environments designed to encourage reading and learning for years to come,” noted Cox.
Bridging the gap between surplus and need
South Africa faces a profound literacy crisis.
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Too many children enter school unable to read, and too many classrooms remain without books. At the same time, books sit idle on shelves in homes across the country.
The Khula Book Collective was established to help close that gap — channelling surplus into need and turning the generosity of one community into opportunity for another. The initiative is deliberately aligned with World Book Day on April 23, amplifying its message at a time when the world unites to recognise the importance of literacy.
Growing nationally in 2027
Following the success of its pilot year, Khula has announced plans to expand nationally in 2027 in continued partnership with Breadline Africa. Schools and PTAs across South Africa are invited to join the initiative and contribute to a growing nationwide network of literacy support.
Cox explained that the model is designed to be simple, replicable, and deeply community-owned.
Each participating school mobilises its learners and parents to collect books, while Breadline Africa’s infrastructure ensures those books reach the right places and in the right form for lasting impact.
Schools and PTAs may email khulabookcollective@gmail.com to indicate their school’s interest in joining the Khula Book Collective.
