Young readers from the Soweto’s Nal’ibali reading club, Mighty Stars, to place the first copies of the magazine in the seat pockets of an SAA aeroplane. (Image: Nal’ibali)
South African Airways (SAA) and the Nal’ibali reading for enjoyment campaign have joined forces once again to produce a second edition of their Story Power magazine to continue inspiring a love of reading among young South Africans.
To mark the publication of the new magazine, the partners invited young readers from the Soweto Nal’ibali reading club, Mighty Stars, to place the first copies of the magazine in the seat pockets of an SAA aeroplane.
“The 2014 Nal’ibali edition proved so popular among children and their caregivers that the partners will once again be offering young travellers a brand-new story written by a local author, fun literacy activities and ideas for parents to help keep their children reading over the holiday period,” said Musa Zwane, general manager shareholder.
“In addition, little listeners will also be able to enjoy Nal’ibali audio stories as part of SAA’s in-flight entertainment schedule on regional flights.”
THE POWER OF WORDS
The audio stories, together with the magazine, form part of Nal’ibali’s Story Power drive, created in the hope of getting books into the hands of as many South Africans as possible. “Research shows that children who read regularly and for enjoyment perform better at school in all subjects, including science and maths,” says Jade Jacobsohn, Nal’ibali’s managing director.
“Reading and sharing stories is something all families can do – especially during the school holidays, which is the perfect time to start a storytelling tradition at home.”
To further encourage the children to continue with their reading routines, SAA Chief Captain Sifuso Masuku reminded them of the importance of reading and how it could help shape their dreams, as it did for his own dreams.
Poet Natalia Molebatsi also demonstrated how she put the power of words to use by sharing some of her work and engaging the children in an interactive poetry performance.
THE STORY CONTINUES
Nal’ibali offers children access to an array of online resources such as literacy-building tips and a selection of stories in their home languages.
Those looking to make use of these resources can visit Nal’ibali’s website or its mobile site.
