Hullet helps out in rural schools

Tongaat Hulett has donated R188 000 towards the purchasing of six mobile libraries.

The libraries were handed over to twelve rural schools during the Rally to Read programme launch on September 13 and 14.

Schools like Elomoya, Queen Nandi, Ehabeni, Ohwebede, Nkunzemalunda, Dumazinkani and Maqhawakazi primary schools to name the few were selected for the proposed 2014 Rally to Read beneficiaries list, submitted by the Sugar Industry Trust Fund for Education, were already schools with which the company had partnered on educational projects. These schools were subsequently all accepted for the programme.

The three year programme, implemented by Read Education Trust, looks to improve the quality of education through the provision of resources to schools and through training teachers to effectively deliver literacy and language programmes and curricula as required by the Education department.

Tongaat Hulett Socio-economic Development Manager Nkonzo Mhlongo said the reading initiative will positively change the lives of 4 600 pupils and 105 teachers in the chosen schools over a period of three years.

“Rally to Read” was launched in 1998 when the HSRC (Human Sciences Research Council) approached McCarthy to lend a 4×4 to travel to the remote areas in KZN where the beneficiary schools were located. This gave birth to one of the most successful rural educational initiatives in the country.

Rally to Read’s Thobile Mchunu said facilitators of the trust will be working closely with teachers from the targeted schools.

“This close support is expected to improve the culture and quality of teaching at these schools and build on each teacher’s repertoire of approaches to the teaching of literacy and other subjects,” said Mchunu.