Ford has kicked off the annual Rally to Read season in the areas surrounding its sprawling Silverton, Pretoria assembly plant.
The company will follow up on this by combining the formal launch of the single and XtraCab versions of the new Ranger with an expedition into the Eastern Cape. The online automotive company, Carshop.co.za, will be among the campaign participants.
Rally to Read is an annual literacy and education campaign that aims to improve the quality of education in rural South Africa. The initiative was launched in 1998 by the McCarthy Motor Group and has since become one of the most successful educational campaigns in the country.
The campaign's main objective is to improve literacy and education in remote and underprivileged areas of South Africa by providing resources and support to teachers and learners in these areas. The campaign is a joint partnership with the Department of Basic Education and other stakeholders.
Since its inception, Rally to Read has impacted the lives of thousands of learners and teachers in rural South Africa. The campaign has reached more than 1 300 schools in remote areas of the country and has provided much-needed support to teachers and learners in these communities.
One of the primary components of the Rally to Read campaign is the annual road trip, which takes place in March each year. During the road trip, volunteers travel to remote areas to distribute books, educational resources, and other supplies to schools and learners in need. The road trip covers thousands of kilometres and often involves trips on rough and challenging terrain.
In addition to the road trip, Rally to Read also provides ongoing support to schools and learners throughout the year, including training for teachers, support for school libraries, and the provision of educational resources such as textbooks and teaching aids.
Over the years, Rally to Read has received widespread recognition for improving education in rural South Africa. The award-winning campaign brags accolades like the prestigious World Responsible Tourism Award in 2011.
One of the fundamental strengths of Rally to Read is its focus on sustainable, long-term solutions to educational challenges. Contrary to providing short-term solutions, such as one-off donations of books or supplies, Rally to Read works to build the capacity of teachers and schools to provide quality education to learners over the long term.
This year, for the first time, Ford Fund was able to bring the initiative to the local community surrounding its Silverton Assembly Plant in Pretoria, visiting schools in Mamelodi (Zamintuthuko Primary School and Boikgantso Primary School), Nellmapius (Nellmapius Extension 6 Primary School and Vukauzenzele Primary School) and Eesterust (Nantes Primary School and PS Fourie Primary School).
“Ford’s relationship with Rally to Read is a partnership in the truest sense. We are committed to supporting education and improving reading and literacy levels, which provides the all-important foundation for educating our youth, and serves as the building blocks for creating a brighter future for South Africans. Our association with the READ Educational Trust dates back to 1999, and it is one we are incredibly proud of as it makes a real difference to the lives of both the learners and teachers,” says Esther Buthelezi, Government Affairs and Transformation Director, Ford South Africa.
The READ Educational Trust is responsible for academic material focused on foundation-phase ranging from grade R to grade 3. It consists of story books, educational toys, multi-coloured box libraries containing reading books of various genres, and SMART projectors.
“Thank you for this opportunity,” said the principal of Nellmapius Ext. 6 Primary School, Ms L. Marema. “With the help of the READ programme and sponsors such as Ford, our learners will be highly encouraged to read.
“In the 25 years of Rally to Read, Ford has been one of our most loyal and generous partners. The fact that it is hosting two rallies in 2023 speaks volumes about Ford's commitment to young South Africans without access to proper education. It offers hope, not just to the scholars but also to the communities in which they live,” added journalist David Furlonger, an ambassador of the READ Educational Trust.
Although not directly part of Rally to Read, Renault is also supporting the concept with its contribution in the form of fully equipped mini libraries and, in partnership with the Motus Imperial Trust, recently donated the second of two fully equipped mini libraries specially designed for use in junior schools in underprivileged areas.
The library, recently launched at the Sivuleleni Primary School in Soweto, intends to promote literacy and a love of reading in the formative early years of schooling.
The most recent Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS), released in 2017, revealed 78% of South African learners (aged 10) cannot read. Further statistics published by the Western Cape Government in 2022 show nearly 60% of households do not own a book for leisure reading, only 14% of the population reads for pleasure, and only 5% of adults read to their children.
A joint partnership between multiple stakeholders with an interest in education development in rural areas, the campaign has established 67 libraries in schools since its inception in 2003.
