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ISUZU Motors South Africa has teamed up with Rally to Read to promote literacy in Nelson Mandela Bay while also emphasising the company's dedication to empowering communities and driving positive change.
Through the partnership, boxes of books were delivered to three primary schools, Khulile in Motherwell, Kaysar Ngxwana in Kwazakhele and St Albans, aimed at promoting "a love for reading, writing, and the enhancement of literacy skills among South African youth."
The donation consisted of fiction and non-fiction books in Afrikaans and isiXhosa, as well as classroom resources, laptops and laminating sets.
The partners said in a statement on Thursday that the results from the most recent Progress International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) showed that in 2021, 81% of grade 4 learners across all official languages cannot read for meaning.
Rally to Read, in partnership with sponsors across the public and private sectors, and delivering books, teaching aids and other much-needed resources to schools to help improve literacy levels.
"We firmly believe in the transformative power of education and are committed to investing in youth and communities within which we operate," said Lebogang Makoloi, ISUZU’s Department Executive for Corporate Affairs.
“As a responsible corporate citizen, we recognise the importance of improving literacy from an early age. Our partnership with Rally to Read reinforces our commitment to driving positive change and empowering the next generation of leaders," Makoloi added.
Rally To Read project manager, Sibhekaphi Sibanda, said; “As part of driving our story of caring, collaboration and hope, we are excited to embark on this journey with ISUZU Motors South Africa where we are delivering much-needed learning resources to three primary schools in Gqeberha."
"At the core of our agenda is the primary focus on promoting literacy at grassroots level through providing teachers and learners access to quality resources and training,” Sibanda added.
With R16 million raised, Rally To Read will fund 12 regional rallies in 2024 and one of those rallies is being done in partnership with ISUZU.
