World Read Aloud Day, held annually on 5 February, was founded in 2010 by the non-profit LIT World, which encourages children and communities to grow through the power of sharing their stories.
In South Africa, the initiative is driven by Nal’ibali, who sets a national reading target each year to inspire participation across the country.
Bronwen Erasmus, area head 8 of Library and Information Services (LIS) in the Community Services and Health Directorate, highlighted the event’s significance: “World Read Aloud Day has become one of the highlights on the LIS calendar, as all City libraries join in to help our partner Nal’ibali reach their target of reading aloud to 3,5 million people.
“By celebrating this day we remind ourselves and our communities of the importance of nurturing a love for reading in our children.”
Reflecting on this year’s theme, “Sowing seeds of hope through stories”, she expressed her optimism about the positive influence libraries in Subcouncil 4 have had on young minds.
“The three libraries in Subcouncil 4 celebrated World Read Aloud Day with great enthusiasm. The librarians and partners reached an impressive 917 children across the subcouncil .
“From schools and ECD visits to collaborative readings with community groups it was a truly special day.”
