About two months ago, The Herald and our sister publications Daily Dispatch and Sowetan published a series of articles highlighting the shockingly low literacy levels among SA’s primary school pupils.
This followed the release of a report by the 2030 Reading Panel, which found that about 80% of the country’s grade 3 pupils were unable to read for meaning in any language.
Only 20% of grade 3 pupils are performing at or above grade level in reading in their home language.
The series of stories, published under the theme “Turning the Page”, sought to show the human faces behind the statistics.
Some of the reports were simply heartbreaking.
What became clear was that a number of factors contributed to the poor literacy levels: a lack of support from parents and the broader community; teachers overwhelmed by administrative tasks; inadequate infrastructure; and, in many instances, a shortage of books and the absence of a reading culture.
This is what makes little Oneeka Mateza’s book club initiative all the more remarkable.
It is heartening to witness young people discovering, or perhaps rediscovering, the joy of reading.
Oneeka, from Bloemendal in Nelson Mandela Bay’s northern areas, has shown us that even at just six years old, anything is possible when a child is exposed to books, supported by adults and encouraged to imagine.
Just two years ago, she could not read.
Today, she is the proud founder of Oneeka’s Book Club, a space where children gather at the West End Library twice a month to immerse themselves in the wonder of books.
That such a young child could take the initiative to share her love for reading speaks volumes about the power of literacy.
It is also testament to those who have nurtured her and introduced her to the joy of books.
In under-resourced communities, where libraries are often underused or, in the case of the Chatty Library, non-functional, the value of grassroots initiatives such as the book club cannot be overstated.
Oneeka’s story should serve as motivation for all of us to invest in reading from the ground up.
That means supporting local libraries, ensuring they are accessible and functional and encouraging a culture of reading at home and school.
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