Empowering children through The Road to Literacy campaign
Access to books and meaningful reading experiences are essential for children to acquire foundational literacy and progress through their education.
In 2023, AVBOB, Oxford University Press Southern Africa (OUPSA), and the government celebrated the second year of the AVBOB Road to Literacy trolley library campaign, a tripartite partnership dedicated to stimulating and promoting a passion for books and reading.
Each trolley was delivered with 500 books, an increase from the 430 books provided in 2022. Each AVBOB Road to Literacy trolley library was valued at approximately £2,135, with the total investment for the 2023 initiative exceeding £555,000.
On Thursday, 15 June 2023, AVBOB CEO Carl van der Riet and OUPSA Managing Director Hanri Pieterse announced the 260 beneficiaries of the AVBOB Road to Literacy campaign.
“Adjudicators faced a challenging task, sifting through more than 8,000 nominations submitted by South Africans across the country to determine the deserving beneficiaries of the 2023 campaign,” shared van der Riet.
As part of AVBOB’s ongoing commitment to support literacy, van der Riet explained that the AVBOB Road To Literacy campaign with OUP and the government is a critical collaboration in response to a pervasive need in schools and society.