ee r F
py o C
Est 2009 Issue 14 - 2015
9 - 16 April 2015
Tel : 011 023-7588 / 011 402 - 1977 Inner-City Gazette
Fax: 086 609 8601
Email : info@inner-city-gazette.co.za
inner_gazette
Website : www.inner-city-gazette.co.za
076 681 0577
75D960F6
Distributed free to households, churches, schools, libraries and businesses in Bellevue East • Bellevue • Benrose • Berea • Bertrams • Braamfontein • City and Suburban • City and Suburban Industrial • City Deep • City West • Crown Gardens • Denver • Doornfontein • Elandspark • Elcedes • Fairview • Fordsburg • Glenanda • Heriotdale • Hillbrow • Jeppestown South • Jeppestown • Johannesburg Inner City • Kensington • Lorentzville • Malvern • Marshallstown • New Doornfontein • Newtown • North Doornfontein • Rosettenville • Troyeville • Turffontein • Village Main Ext 3 and Yeoville .
R156 000 books for child centres KLM and Martinar staff members with Biblionet SA officials during the handover ceremony.
Staff Reporter news@inner-city-gazette.co.za
A
partnership between the City of Johannesburg Library and Information Services and the Biblionef South Africa NGO, 50 early childhood centres received books and toys on last Thursday. Biblionef South Africa secured a donation of R156 000 from Wings of Support, a private initiative of staff of airline companies KLM and Martinair. Two of their members of
staff were guests at the ceremony. The Director for the City of Johannesburg Library and Information Services Directorate, Nobuntu Mpendulo said education is one of the biggest challenges facing South Africa, and at the moment the crucial stage of early childhood development is nascent. “If we can provide books for children, and get them excited about reading before they reach the foundation phase of the school system, we are guaranteed better results in
‘If we can provide books for children, and get them excited about reading before they reach the foundation phase of the school system, we are guaranteed better results in the later phases. It is also about uplifting the communities, and about the children who will have access to these books, and whose lives will be positively affected’
the later phases. It is also about uplifting the communities, and about the children who will have access to these books, and whose lives will be positively affected,” she added. The Library and Information Services, in partnership with Biblionef South Africa, handed over toys and books to the centres at a function at the Orange Farm Library. The information campaign was part of the City of Johannesburg’s Growth and Development Strategy (GDS) 2040 and supports the Early
Childhood Development strategy of increasing literacy, skills and lifelong learning. In a statement Biblionef South Africa said this ties in with its vision to lay the foundation for children to make good decisions through critical thinking. “That would help them to be able to live balanced and productive lives; to create lifelong readers which results in a society that can make informed decisions; has access to education resulting in a so-
ciety where everyone is literate, and finds reading both a great pleasure and a necessity.” Biblionef South Africa has, since 1998 supported more than 900 early childhood development centres, and makes books available in all official languages of South Africa. The organisation donates an average of 12 000 books each month, and has reached nearly 4 million children, the statement added. For more information on Biblionef, visit www.biblionefsa.org.za