Thousands of rural youths have benefitted from a R2,4 million initiative, aiming at stimulating reading and writing among rural youths in areas adjacent to Malamulele.

Rally to Read, a partnership between government and the private sector, supplied study material to 14 primary schools in the area last Saturday. The schools that received the material, as well as soccer kits and balls, are all in Malamulele East Circuit.

The principal of Khodobi Primary,  Mr Mackson Shiburi, stated that after they had reached a partnership with Rally to Read, every aspect of the school improved. Local traditional leader Eddie Khosa said he was happy the government and private sector partnership was benefitting remote areas.“The extent to which children in our areas can devote time to their books is amazing,” he said and hailed the partnership.

Mr Meyer Swanepoel of Rally to Read said it was a “partnership that works.” He said it was able to stimulate reading interest among young people in rural areas. Ms Sarah Mthintso, head of the Telkom Foundation, one of the partners that donated R2,4-million this year, said: ”We opted to support the initiative, because if you want to create a literate society, you must invest in the youth."

The circuit manager for Malamulele East, Dr Willy Chabalala, said South Africa had a problem in terms of reading and writing and schools that formed part of the project had improved in that regard.