In South Africa, 78% of Grade Four children cannot read for meaning (PIRLS, 2016). We, at Shine Literacy, are helping to transform the prospects of some of South Africa’s most vulnerable children by breaking the destructive cycle of poor literacy, low educational attainment, wasted potential and poverty. We do this by providing structured English literacy support to children, providing storybooks and readers and empowering parents and caregivers through Family Literacy Workshops. We work in partnership with like-minded NGO’s, individuals and non-profit organisations to raise awareness and develop approaches that are appropriate and sustainable.

Shine Trust, Zonnebloem College Estate, Cambridge Street, Zonnebloem, Cape Town, 7925.

Through rigorous training, we give teachers the tools to use the power of genre-based pedagogy in every subject for every learner at every level. Our methodology has been developed in response to current urgent needs, particularly of marginalised learners, to rapidly improve reading and writing for educational access and success. These theoretical foundations are integrated in a set of teaching strategies that are optimally practical in diverse classroom settings, and accessible for teachers to acquire and use as part of their ordinary practice in their grade or curriculum area.

Our vision is to develop ways of supporting poor and disadvantaged individuals and communities to improve their quality of life physically, socially and economically. Our Bright Futures Programme aims to empower girl children with skills and knowledge to have mastery over their own lives. It seeks to galvanise young girls to secure their futures by providing them with appropriate knowledge on puberty and sexual reproductive health, thereby inspiring them to make informed decisions and to develop a healthy self esteem. This school-based programme has resulted in a decrease in pregnancy of school learners, and a decrease in absenteeism and drop out rates.

We create and support libraries in under-resourced schools. We set up the space and employ a young person in the community as a library assistant (LA) to maintain and facilitate the library. We then continue to provide literacy support through activities, competitions, site visits, LA meetings and training workshops. Our mission is to create a culture of reading. We believe that every child deserves to experience the power and joy of reading and the opportunity to become informed, active citizens.

Zonnebloem College Estate, 1 Cambridge Street, Zonnebloem, 7925, Cape Town