Johannesburg children receive 1 200 storybooks in drive to boost early literacy

In communities across Johannesburg where access to books is rare and illiteracy is rife, the simple gift of a brand-new storybook is changing young lives - one child at a time.

As part of National Literacy Month, over 600 children from 17 early childhood development (ECD) centres across the city received 1 200 multilingual and multicultural storybooks, bringing literacy - and hope - to some of Johannesburg’s most underserved neighbourhoods.

The handover is part of a grassroots literacy initiative led by non-profit organisation Ladles of Love, in collaboration with Read with Wimpy. The campaign aims to get mother-tongue books into the hands of South Africa’s youngest learners, targeting communities where the literacy crisis begins: early childhood.

For many of the children from areas including Soweto, Rosettenville, Midrand, Diepsloot, Orange Farm, Mamelodi, and Alexandra, it was a special moment - receiving their very own brand-new book to take home and treasure.

Each child received two books: one in their home language, reinforcing cultural identity and early language development, and another in English to build future academic skills.

The moment was deeply emotional for both educators and parents. "Before we had to worry about where we would get food from, now our children consistently get two nutritious meals a day and now, on top of food abundance, you come with two books for every child, that is more than we can ever hope for. We have everything we need to make sure these little ones succeed," said Mama Naomi Xashiva, Principal of Daffodils in Water School.

A Local Response to a National Emergency

The literacy crisis in South Africa is stark: according to PIRLS 2021, 81% of Grade 4 learners cannot read for meaning. And a new report released this week - the 2025 Thrive by Five Index -shows that fewer than half of preschoolers are meeting developmental milestones.

A key issue? Most households simply don’t have books. Only 11% of enrolled children have more than five books at home, while 26% have none. Among non-enrolled children, 77% of caregivers reported having no children's books at all.

"With the right fuel for their bodies and the right tools for their minds, we're ensuring that no child is left behind due to the circumstances of their birth," said Yolanda Jones, programme director at Ladles of Love. The organisation, which has served more than 48 million meals since 2020, is now using its trusted presence in communities to tackle illiteracy at its roots.

Parents collecting their children from the centres during the book handover events shared their gratitude, describing how precious it was for their little ones to have a book of their own. At many centres, the children immediately opened their books, pointing to pictures, and flipping through pages with curiosity and joy.

Support for Teachers, Too

The roadshow didn’t just deliver books. It also offered a workshop for centre principals and educators, focusing on how to nurture early reading habits in resource-scarce environments.

The Johannesburg handover follows a successful roll-out in the Northern Cape and is part of a larger 6 000-book distribution across three provinces. The Western Cape is next in line.

The programme is part of a broader campaign to integrate early literacy with Ladles of Love’s ongoing nutritional support to preschools. The organisation’s “Nourish Our Children” initiative now supports over 7 500 children, pairing food security with learning tools to promote holistic development.

“It was through our children's campaigns over the years that we realised the severity of the literacy crisis,” said Jodi Law, Wimpy brand manager. “We noticed that there was a growing need for children to read relatable books, preferably written in their home language.”