Every year IronTree pledges funds to Little Libraries, an independent initiative that’s been delivering books and educational materials to under-resourced pre-schools around Cape Town since 2013.
IronTree’s Mandela Day pledge has enabled Little Libraries to extend its main focus from books and libraries to outdoor equipment and learning materials. The first schools to benefit are two in Khayelitsha, Priscilla’s school and Zizipho’s, which both received reading and outdoor equipment before the children went on their December holiday 2018.
Around 50 pupils at Priscilla’s school are now learning new skills in the shady sandpit of the school, having received a set of buckets, spades and beach toys that are helping them develop sifting, scooping, funnelling and pouring skills while learning cooperative play and sharing.
Founder Camille Quine explains, “Many schools have virtually no resources to speak of and some children arrive at primary school without knowing how to hold a pen. We felt we needed to help them with this by providing material to develop their fine motor skills while they play.”
Camille reminds us that it all began with an act of kindness to help one school, six year ago: “When we felt the joy and appreciation of the children through that first library donation, we just had to carry on.”
She goes on to say; “With support from IronTree and several others, in 2018 alone we managed to deliver 33 Little Libraries to pre-school children to acquaint them with books ahead of beginning primary school; we equipped five schools with tables and chairs; we took stationery, puzzles and games to eight small schools; we facilitated an aquarium visit for 60 children and also provided blankets and beanies and painted a school.”
There’s so much to gain by supporting this initiative which, through it’s success, has been able to register as a non-profit organisation 2017/431026/08 with PBO registration number 930061297.
It would make more libraries and learning possible if you also donated towards Little Libraries.
These are the banking details to use:
First National Bank, branch 250655, account number 62729305707, account holder: Little Libraries NPC