Nal’ibali (isiXhosa for “here’s the story”) is a national reading-forenjoyment campaign driven by PRAESA (the Project for the Study of Alternative Education in South Africa) in collaboration with Times Media and a growing number of partners. Nal’ibali’s theory of change is solidly grounded in research that shows a strong link between exposure to language and stories from a young age and educational achievement. It is also grounded in the theory that if reading is personally rewarding and meaningful for children, their curiosity will be sparked and they will be more motivated to learn.

But for children to be apprenticed into the reasons for reading and writing, they need reading role models who themselves need to be motivated and mentored. Creating print-rich environments and training people to appreciate and transmit the power of stories and engage appropriately with children in reading clubs is vital in bringing about this much-needed shift in community practice with regards to children’s literacy development.

To visit the Nalibali website, click here.