Canvassing for literacy
Local artists tackle illiteracy by donating books to needy students
POLOKWANE – The Read a Book (RAB) campaign is a new initiative to encourage a culture of reading and assist learners of disadvantaged backgrounds by collecting and distributing textbooks and study guides in the Polokwane area.
The campaign is the brainchild of a group of artists in the city and was launched two weeks ago. They have managed to donate several books and visited various libraries.
According to one of the group members, Samantha Mokoena, they started the campaign when they realised most artists don’t take education and reading seriously. She explained through this campaign they want to fight illiteracy in Limpopo.
“Charity begins at home but we plan to make our campaign a national initiative in the near future. Nowadays, the youth tend to focus more on social networks rather than reading which might contribute to them not excelling at school,” she explained.
Samantha added that the campaign is also a way of giving back to the community and their fans.
Another member of the group, William Mehlape, said they collect books from people who are willing to donate. The books they collect are handed out to learners in rural areas to help them with their studies as they often do not have access to libraries or the internet to help them.
“The campaign will be an ongoing initiative and we encourage everyone to come on board and help us make a positive impact on as many lives as possible. We are in need of financial support to buy new, up-to-date study guides for the learners so they can have access to the material needed to improve their marks,” William said.
Jonathan Thema, another member of the group, encouraged artists to read so they can learn more about the industry which will place them in a better position to negotiate a fair deal with their record labels.
“It is unfair for a record label to demand 70% of the profit from an artist. The world can only be a better place if people read,” he said.
