Tag Archives: University of Pretoria

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Rotary Appeal: Children are Waiting!

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It began here! Now, progress compels an appeal to the corporate world in South Africa!  

Implementing Sounsbw

The SOUNS programme focuses on pre-school literacy readiness which is the foundation of subsequent academic success. The SOUNS programme was originally introduced in RSA in the Knysna area, but a parallel project started in the Gauteng province in February 2011. This programme has to date reached over 8500 children in 97 crèche and school locations. The success of the programme is illustrated by the speed with which pupils gain letter-sound knowledge, build words, and subsequently, read words. It is also illustrated by the enthusiasm with which teachers and children embrace the programme. This enthusiasm has allowed the RCPE to combine with many partners in expanding the programme. Organisations involved already include The South African Congress for Early Childhood Development, The Khanimamba Training and Resource Centre, many regional crèche forums, The University of Pretoria student outreach programme and the UP Business Unit, The American Peace Corps through their volunteers, and finally, several primary schools with the support of the Gauteng Educational Department. The programme has reached pupils mainly in the Mamelodi area, but many satellite centres in the Limpopo and Kwa- Zulu Natal provinces are springing up.

The original project planned to place sets in150 classroom locations. This project is now reaching conclusion with to date 178 sets in the field. The RCPE is seeking further funds from Rotary International to initiate a phase 2 project that will fund a further 250 sets and reach potentially a cohort of 10 000 pupils per annum.

SOUNS has the potential to make a significant contribution to advance the literacy skills of future South African children country wide. By targeting pre-school children, the skills will then impact throughout the child’s life, cascading on many aspects of learning. Many systems are in place for this to happen.

• The SOUNS programme has repeatedly proved that it is effective. • The communities already exposed to the programme realise its effectiveness and are keen to embrace the programme.

• Pilot programmes have allowed an effective operating procedure to be developed.

• Contacts have been made that will allow a rapid expansion of the programme.

• Support structures to allow this rapid expansion exist but will need to be refined to allow a significant up-scaling of the programme.

Such a programme will have to limit its scope by selecting an area to concentrate its efforts. The benefits that will accrue from such a policy are that educational departments can be introduced to the programme and the early development of literacy skills. It might sound idealistic, but the future was never changed without a vision. The vision here is to give universal opportunity to South African pre-school children to SOUNS so that the future generations of South African children can become literate and enter the formal educational structures equipped to capitalise on the learning experiences that they deserve. The Rotary family seeks a partner in that vision.

THE ROTARY CLUB OF PRETORIA EAST IS BOTH A NONPROFIT ORGANISATION AND A PUBLIC BENEFIT ORGANISATION. THIS WILL ALLOW ANY CORPORATE FUNDER TO UTILISE THE SPONSORSHIP IN THEIR BBBEE AND CSI PROGRAMMES.

To see the entire appeal…please open this pdf file.

CSI appeal jan 12 version-1

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“Souns like…..” A Peace Corps Reflection

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SOUNS Like… “Sesi Nyeleti! Sesi Nyeleti!” All of the Grade R learners shout my name, and jump up and down in unison as I walk from the staff room across the school yard to the Grade R classroom. They are all very excited, because they know that when I come to Grade R it is time for SOUNS. As we walk (or they sprint) over to the spot where we practice our SOUNS, they animatedly yell the most recent sound we have mastered. SOUNS, a literacy program that was introduced during my PST, has become a major part of my day at both primary schools where I teach. On my days at both primary schools, in between my other classes and helping the teachers at the school, I wedge in time to take three groups of about eight Grade R learners per group to work with them on SOUNS.

I had trouble implementing the program. I wanted to make it fun for the kids I was working with, but at the same time effective and educational. After all, learning is the major goal. Literacy is what this program is after. I found myself a tad frustrated, using the same activities day after day and making it far too tedious for the learners. Luckily, at a meeting with my fellow PCVs we had the chance to swap stories and ideas on how to better implement the program. Since returning to site after the meeting, SOUNS has been going wonderfully. Activities like drawing the letter (woops, sound!) on the learners’ hands, having the learners run to the sound, and having the learners sing in unison what sound you have just pulled out of the blue SOUNS bag all make this program very enjoyable for the kids.

What’s more is that they are actually learning. They are connecting the shape/visual of the letter to its sound. A few weeks back, as I was walking with one of the women I am friends with in my village and her son (Grade R), my friend asked her son what he was learning in school. Her son stopped right there, leaned down, and drew the shape of the sound “t” in the ground, voicing the “t” sound. I felt successful, even if it meant I had only reached one learner.

Since starting SOUNS, more PCVs have jumped on the SOUNS bandwagon. From hearing the positive effects it has had on the learners we work with, other PCVs hope to obtain a SOUNS set for their school. In the future and in an effort to make this a sustainable resource, I plan to work with the Foundation Phase Educators on how to implement this program into everyday teaching or as a remediation tool. For now, however, I am quite content as the learners skip back to class after our SOUNS session, happily chanting “mmmmm” and “ssssss.”



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Rotarians ● Peace Corps Africa ● Literacy

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Rotary Clubs, join hands with the Peace Corps! Children need us!

The following letter is from Dick Day, Regional Director of The Peace Corps in Africa.

Dear Rotarians,

Early childhood development is such a critical need across Africa. While we have some Peace Corps Volunteers working with local non-governmental organizations to support ECD with orphans and vulnerable children, they have little training in early childhood development and fluency teaching and few resources.

Thank you for helping equip our Volunteers on both fronts through the Souns program, and thank you for touching the little ones who so desperately need love and training.

Dick Day                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

This letter is the result of a pilot literacy project in South Africa, promising the fundamental skills of reading and writing for children. A collaboration between the Peace Corps and Rotary (currently including D9400 and D6900) means a door is open and the light is shining through it. A sustainable path to impacting literacy is visible. We have two amazingly dedicated organizations and a tool designed to teach children to read in any African language.

How can you get involved? There is a Global Grant option, as well as ample opportunity for any Rotary Club to support one or more Peace Corps volunteers in Africa. Please email: everychildwillread@gmail.com to discuss the possibilities. You might even consider joining in the training at some point. Once you have experienced the eyes of these children as they learn, you will see many things differently.

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Global Grant Option for Rotary Clubs

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A Global Grant to help 12000 children read in South Africa!

The past and the present! Global Grant #25244 has been extraordinarily successful in building fundamental literacy skills for almost 8000 children of Mamelodi in Gauteng Province, South Africa. Such success has led to a new Global Grant proposal to provide Souns literacy materials to 250 classrooms in Gauteng and surrounding Provinces via the University of Pretoria, University of Venda, and the Peace Corps. This new grant will provide materials initially impacting almost 12,000 children through primary schools and creches, as well as equipping Peace Corps volunteers with Souns materials to better serve them as a resource for their communities.

Since Souns materials are not expendable, the overall impact as the years go by will be exponential. The grant provides funds for classroom materials only and is matched almost dollar-for-dollar by experienced Rotarian volunteers training local teachers to implement the program. Teaching teachers ensures long term sustainability.

The almost completed Global Grant 25244 ($34,200) was initiated by D9400, Host Club Pretoria East, and D6900, International Partner Club Peachtree City, along with Rotary Clubs Carrollton Dawnbreakers, East Cobb, and North Fulton. This international literacy project is changing lives for children. Clearly, this is a demonstration of the power of Rotary.

The new, proposed Global Grant ($50,000) is being initiated, once again, by the Rotary Club of Pretoria East. This project builds on the collaboration between D6900 (International Partner) and D9400 (Host) and promises an even larger impact by Rotary on the fundamental literacy skills for young children in South Africa.

If you are in District 6900(USA) or District 9400(ZA) and are interested in your club participating in this international literacy Global Grant, please email everychildwillread@gmail.com. If you are in another Rotary District and want to get involved in this effort, contact me and we will find a way to make that happen. The world is filled with children who want to read, and we need as many hands joined as possible. The ability to read and write is the peacemaker, and we must ensure that every child – YES, EVERY – child will read!