Reading and Volunteering in South Africa

Images of the Li'l Fish Reading Room

By Abby Rolland

At harp-weaver LLC, we explore topics relevant to our and the interests of the philanthropies that we manage and advise. Several clients have an interest in literacy; one in particular funds the work of Beyond Literacy in Philadelphia. Here, we explore literacy and volunteering through the experiences of a former colleague, Liza Visser, and her family in South Africa.

Around the world literacy rates have soared over the past 100 years. According to UNESCO, around 87-90% of the world population are literate as of 2024. In the 1920s, the rate was around 30-40% and rose to 55-60% by the 1970s. Various reasons exist as to why the rate has increased, including but not limited to the expansion of education policies related to making education compulsory, technological advancements and improved access to education, economic development and investment in education, and social movements.

Even with these incredible advancements, students in many areas struggle to read for meaning, i.e., transitioning from learning to read to reading to learn. In South Africa, the International Reading Literacy Study found that 81% of Grade 4 learners (equivalent of 4th grade in the U.S.) demonstrated an inability to comprehend written texts in any language. Other findings found that learners who performed well in early literacy tasks in Grade 1 demonstrated higher reading achievements in Grade 4, emphasizing the importance of developing early literacy skills and that learners from higher socioeconomic backgrounds achieved significantly higher scores than those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds.

With these facts and their lived experiences in mind, Olivia and Matthew Visser sprang into action. The two young people wanted to build a reading movement and library in the village of Smartie Town, South Africa. The community faced a high poverty rate and needed a library and a resource for children to access books. The Visser siblings pitched the idea of a library to a private company and received funding. They worked with the Hanna Charity & Empowerment Foundation which provides care work, food, and other assistance.

Thanks to their hard work, the Li’l Fish Reading Room opened in Smartie Town. Since then, the area’s children have regularly used it. Access to books is an important step in developing early literacy skills.

What’s noted is not only the importance of the library to the Smartie Town community, but the involvement of the Visser family in propelling the work forward. Volunteering is a crucial way to get children involved in their communities. It teaches appreciation, enhances world perspectives, inspires giving, introduces life skills, builds social skills, benefits physical and mental health, influences balanced habits, develops a sense of purpose, improves self-awareness, and can help children discover their interests. Not only do people in the community benefit from the library, the Visser siblings have been able to experience what it is like to give back. Fostering a willingness to make a difference helps show young people that they are philanthropists and teaches them why giving back is important (and it can benefit both them and their community!).

Harnessing the power of children and the power of literacy, the Li’l Fish Reading Room illustrates that anyone can make a difference, and it’s important that we foster that belief in young people.