Join us this June and July as we help Amandla run virtual reading groups for kids in the South African township of Philippi.
Due to the legacy of apartheid education, literacy is a major challenge as most kids aren’t exposed to a culture of reading. To encourage reading for pleasure among Grades 7 and 9 Philippi learners, these students will be reading Kwame Alexander’s "Crossover" series during their winter holiday.
After completing the series, these students will join virtual reading groups run by Yale volunteers, where comprehension is tested using fun and interactive activities. Each of the three reading groups will focus on one of Alexander’s books, e-copies of which can be purchased for $7-$10 on Amazon.
Amandla Development is a South African nonprofit, founded by Yale alumnus Scott Clarke, based in Philippi, a “township” in Cape Town. Almost 50% of Philippi’s youth drop out of school. But, education in a township is also about safety, nutrition, healthcare, community support, and access to and availability of resources. Such a layered, complex problem demands a layered, complex response. This is where Amandla comes in, and is the focus of the work they do.
