Literacy Outreach
We have an open invitation to work with the School of Industry
While serving and living in Newcastle, we gained valuable insight into the urgent need for English literacy outreach among the children and youth of the area. Many of the children in Kwa-Zulu-Natal grow up speaking a prevalent language other than English (primarily Zulu and Africans). However, in South Africa, children are required not only to learn English, but to learn to read in English.
According to the most recent figures from the Kwa-Zulu-Natal Department of Education, the literacy rate among sixth grade children stands at a meager 39%. To compound the problem, schools are poorly equipped. The general consensus among education experts in the country is that the low literacy rates are directly related to poverty. With an estimated poverty rate of 70%, higher than any other province in South Africa, the situation in Kwa-Zulu-Natal is especially dire.
We believe God is calling us to partner with pastors, schools and communities to provide reading education to the poor and disadvantaged in Northern Kwa-Zulu-Natal. We have an open invitation to work with the School of Industry to not only provide literacy education to the reform school and behavioral challenged students, but to read the Bible and pray with them! Additionally we are developing a mobile literacy program (BAC or Book Adventure Club – see our logo below) that will allow us to reach primary aged learners in poverty stricken villages and townships. God is opening up doors for us to share the life giving Gospel of Jesus Christ through these reading education.