Rally to Read is driving a good cause for kids

Rally to Read, the national education programme that has been uplifting remote primary schools since 1998, is all about changing lives. The question is, whose lives?

There’s no doubt that it has fundamentally improved the prospects of hundreds of thousands of children for whom university and even high school education are traditionally an unattainable dream. Unable to read and write, many drop out of the system on leaving primary school. At Rally to Read schools, that’s no longer inevitable.

Thousands of teachers, too, have benefited from the additional training provided by Rally to Read. Specialist trainers from the Read Educational Trust make sure that they make the most of resources provided by the programme and that they’re prepared for new teaching methods and technology.

And what of the communities where the schools are? Parents and community members, many of whom never enjoyed a proper education themselves, see a real future for their children.

But there is another group for whom the experience is life-changing. That is the sponsors themselves.

One of the distinguishing features of Rally to Read, in which the FM is an organising partner, is that sponsors meet those they are helping. In recent weeks, vehicle convoys have been crisscrossing South Africa, delivering books, stationery, sports equipment and other resources to schools that might otherwise have none.

Many of the convoys travel offroad to rural schools but the programme also supports those closer to home, in impoverished townships. Surroundings may be different but needs are the same. 

For many sponsors, a Rally to Read expedition is the first time they see South African education and non-urban life “in the raw”. When they arrive with their goods, the welcome from children and communities is always joyous, often overwhelming.

How overwhelming? Consider these words from a first-timer on our recent KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Midlands rally weekend. “Gratitude wells up within me as I reflect on the profound journey of delivering books and stationery to schools in the rural areas,” she says. “This humbling experience has reshaped my perspective of knowledge, unveiling the resilience of communities often overlooked.

“The passion and thirst for knowledge from these communities reminds me never to take the gift of knowledge and life’s opportunities for granted. Witnessing the passion emanating from teachers, students and parents alike has been a source of inspiration.

“The collective hard work from everyone invested in this endeavour, from loading books onto trucks to the shared joy of opening a new chapter for these communities, has left an indelible impact in their lives. Together, we’ve sown the seeds of knowledge and gained knowledge, cultivating a future where education transcends boundaries. Thank you for making me part of this experience.”

Others have expressed similar sentiments through the years.

Rally to Read sponsors include major companies, small businesses and private individuals. Many bring employees and family members, including children, on the trips. It’s a measure of the programme’s impact that most sponsors remain committed. At the very least, they stay for three years — the period over which each school is supported. That’s long enough for a culture of reading to become embedded and allows sponsors to see the personal growth of children during that time.

Besides KZN, companies such as Ford Southern Africa, Mercedes-Benz South Africa and the Jonsson Foundation (the corporate social investment arm of Jonsson Workwear) have recently hosted rallies in Gauteng, the Free State, the Eastern Cape and the Western Cape. More are planned for later in the year. Organisers are already raising funds for 2025.

A sense of common purpose — multiple sponsors, including direct competitors, work together towards a shared goal — has always typified Rally to Read.

Limited national and provincial education budgets — and sometimes disorganised education departments — leave thousands of schools short of the educational resources they need. It would be easy to say this is the government’s problem and turn our backs on the issue. That would be to condemn children to a hopeless future, through no fault of their own. The more Rally to Read sponsors we have, the more we can create hope.

* To become a sponsor, or for more information, visit www.rallytoread.org.za.