Thuto-Kganya Lesedi Project

Many children in South Africa and Africa face social challenges such as rape, teenage pregnancy, poverty, child-headed households, physical abuse, gender-based violence, child neglect, and challenges related to queer identities. These social ills affect children, but they often struggle to communicate their experiences and do not know where to seek solutions. The government, literacy NGOs, higher institutions, and various stakeholders encourage children to read. However, there are limited reading materials in indigenous African languages in South Africa, especially for Foundation Phase learners (ages 5-10). Additionally, the existing materials rarely address the social challenges that children experience in their daily lives. This project aims to write storybooks that focus on these issues, ensuring relevant context and age-appropriate content that promotes reading with enjoyment. Importantly, these storybooks will teach learners about social challenges and ways to overcome them or seek assistance.

In South Africa, the National Department of Education, NGOs, and various education stakeholders are designing and developing children’s books in various indigenous African languages. However, the number of books is still limited, and topics on children’s social challenges are scarce.

As part of my research, I have identified the need to write storybooks focusing on social challenge issues. I have documented 20 unpublished manuscripts. The purpose of writing multiple storybooks is to address the gap in addressing the social challenges faced by children.

I have approached several publishing houses; some have provided positive responses, while others have not. However, a year ago, I was selected for a global children’s book project themed “Children in Care.” I was excited and anxious to be part of the project. I was offered training and coaching on designing and writing storybooks, with bi-weekly meetings with local and international coaches.

The storybook focuses on children in care, a scarce topic in children’s books. Rarely do children’s storybooks focus on adoption or orphanage settings. Not every child is born in a traditional or what society calls a “common family” with a mom, dad, and siblings. Some learners grow up in non-traditional family settings due to social challenges, such as being raised by grandparents or external family members or growing up in an orphanage. In Limpopo, most children are raised by their grandparents or guardians, especially in rural areas. Therefore, storybooks covering various family settings are essential. Every child should be knowledgeable about different family settings and what caring means in different family systems. In my storybook, I draw from an orphanage setting, where children come from diverse family backgrounds and learn about caring, love, support, unity, and happiness in a children’s care setting.

The project primarily focuses on Foundation Phase learners in rural areas of Limpopo. In four schools where the author collected data, the schools are located in different villages within the Sekhukhune district. Once the storybooks are published, I plan to purchase and distribute them to the four schools. Each child should own a copy of their own, and I will also provide five copies to the school libraries and local libraries.

The purpose of giving each child a book is because many children need to own reading materials in their households, especially in their mother tongue. Children are mostly exposed to the spoken language at home and in their communities, with limited exposure to written text. Therefore, the storybooks will expose the children to spoken and written languages, providing insights into overcoming the social challenges they face.

My project aims to improve the poor reading outcomes for Sepedi in Limpopo. Limpopo has consistently been the lowest-performing province in the PIRLS (2006, 2011, 2016, 2021) results. While several factors contribute to poor reading outcomes, most research has focused on internal school challenges and not external factors such as social challenges. Therefore, writing storybooks on the social challenges faced by children and societal members will enhance the learners’ knowledge about these situations and empower them to seek solutions or bring about change with the knowledge they gain from the books.

Storybooks or books, in general, provide numerous benefits beyond exposure to written text. They teach learners how to read, write, and improve their listening and speaking skills. They expose learners to different topics and situations, which can significantly impact improving children’s life experiences. Books can also shape how children think and observe situations at school and in their communities, providing clarity or understanding of their challenges.

For instance, the current storybook on children in care focuses on friendship, love, healing, sharing, and the interconnectedness of nature. Interestingly, the storybook promotes inclusive education, with illustrations depicting children with different physical characteristics, such as various skin colours, including vitiligo, children wearing glasses, girls with bold hairstyles, and boys with afros. Another exciting element is the inclusion of an African plant (impepho), which is often used for communication with ancestors or medical conditions. I hope that as I continue this vision and collaborate with schools, teachers, parents, and communities, we can work together to help children read for meaning in their mother tongue and be able to seek solutions to their social and personal challenges in life.

 

I plan to re-print multiple copies of my storybooks and distribute them to the four schools, including their school libraries, and community libraries in the villages. The aim of this project is to ensure that every learner owns a copy of the storybook, allowing them to access the books whenever they feel the need. The learners can read the books with their parents, guardians, and community members.

For intermediate (Grade 4-6) and senior learners (Grade 7), the books can be accessed at their school libraries. For learners in other schools, they can access the storybooks at their respective community libraries.
By providing each learner with a copy of the storybook and ensuring accessibility through school and community libraries, I aim to create a sustainable and widespread impact. This will not only improve the reading outcomes for Sepedi but also empower children to better understand and address the social challenges they face in their daily lives.