World Read Aloud Day (WRAD) takes place on February 5th each year, and this year The Star Foundation is celebrating with the exciting announcement of our partnership with Help2read. Each year, WRAD is dedicated to highlighting the importance of reading aloud and promoting literacy across all ages by encouraging people to share stories with others in schools, homes, and their communities. This aligns perfectly with Help2read’s mission of ending illiteracy in South Africa by fostering a love for reading and storytelling.

In 2021, the Progress in International Reading Study (PIRLS) revealed that 81% of Grade 4 learners in South Africa could not read for meaning in any language. The consequences of low literacy levels are profound, limiting children’s ability to progress through school and become youth who contribute positively to the communities in which they live and the country’s economy. Help2read is tacking this issue by providing one-on-one support to children in public schools who struggle to read. Through consistent literacy input, reading help and fun activities, children in the programme not only learn to read, they fall in love with reading.

We are proud to share that we will be funding Help2read’s inspiring work in Gauteng throughout 2025 by collaborating to bring the proven success of their well-established literacy programme to children in two under-resourced schools in Diepsloot and Refilwe. But that’s not all… The programme’s impact extends far beyond the classroom and provides solutions to critical challenges faced by South African communities which demand urgent and impactful action.

One such challenge is that of unemployment among South African youth, and particularly young, black women. A staggering 39.2% of this marginalised demographic could not find meaningful employment in 2024. Alongside their reading support projects, Help2read’s approach provides first work experiences for unemployed young women (aged 18-25) from the townships in which the schools are situated.

With The Star Foundation’s donation, Help2read will implement six inter-related projects throughout the year. You can find out more about these in “the Journey” tab. In an impressive whole-of-community approach, the programme is set to achieve the following objectives:

Together with Help2read, we are thrilled to embark on an inspiring 11-month journey to strengthen community cohesion, empower the youth, and build the nation’s ability to read for meaning. Since its inception in 2005, Help2read has reached 420 schools, trained and employed 675 young people, and assisted 40 000 children with reading support.

Collaboration is central to tackling the literacy crisis in South Africa, and we at The Star Foundation are ready to play our part. Together with Help2read, it is our privilege to contribute to building a future filled with opportunity- one book, one child, one woman, and one community at a time. We hope you’ll follow our journey!