Great reading fun awaits hundreds of primary-school learners on the Cape Flats following NB Publishers’ donation of over R3 million’s books to the mobile libraries of the Federation of Governing Bodies of South African Schools (FEDSAS). FEDSAS, in conjunction with Quali Books and the project ambassador, singer Nedine Blom, provided three primary schools on the Cape Flats with mobile libraries towards the end of 2015.

            “The support of large publishers is crucial to the success of projects such as this one. Therefore, we regard this generous donation by NB Publishers as an investment not only in the project, but also in the future of these children,” says Mr Danie van Wyk, manager of the Suid-Afrikaanse Onderwysontwikkelingstrust (SAOOT) in the Western Cape. SAOOT is an initiative of FEDSAS. Schools that do have school libraries also often struggle to cover the costs associated with keeping their book collections up to date. The mobile libraries consist of a cabinet in which the books are moved from one classroom to the next. In this way, it also facilitates easier control over the book collections and serves as a valuable aid to teachers.
 
PHOTO: Pictured at the handover of the book donation are, from left to right, Mr Johannes Bell (manager of the NB Stores), singer Nedine Blom (project ambassador), Mr Danie van Wyk (manager of SAOOT), Ms Michelle Cooper (representative of NB Publishers), Mr Paul Colditz (FEDSAS chief executive), Mr Henry Botha (deputy provincial manager of FEDSAS in the Western Cape), Mr Graham Bam (provincial manager of FEDSAS in the Western Cape) and Mr Lewellin Brown (deputy provincial manager of FEDSAS in the Western Cape).
 
(FEDSAS is a voluntary association of school governing bodies of public schools, which advocates for the maintenance and promotion of quality education in these schools. More than 1 900 public schools have already joined as FEDSAS members.)