Good literacy starts at birth

To reduce functional illiteracy in the Nelson Mandela Metro means that the Community Trust team has to find inventive solutions in order to make this goal a reality and one such solution is introducing the Fundisanani (teaching each other) Programme. As language is vital for literacy, the adult to adult programme was introduced to four clinics in Uitenhage and Kwanobuhle since November 2016. Literacy development begins at birth. When children begin to learn a language through loving and responsive relationships with caregivers, and that is why the target group for this programme are pregnant moms and moms who take kids for immunizations.

The aim of the programme is to introduce parents to new ideas, link the ideas to their own experience and explore ways of putting them into practice with their children. Since last year, four clinics, Nomangesi Jayiya and Laetitia Bam Clinics in Kwanobuhle and Middle Street and Rosedale Clinics in Uitenhage, were identified and each clinic is visited once a week.

More than 5400 pregnant moms and moms with toddlers were reached since inception, todate.

Other than emphasising the importance of learning, the volunteers also read to the children and teach parents how to make books and toys for their children.