Worldreader, the US- and Europe-based organization that puts ebooks and e-readers into the hands of students in developing regional schools in Africa, announced this week that it has expanded its current reach to school children in South Africa and Malawi, while still making more headway in Kenya.
Worldreader forged partnerships with two South African schools, one of which was formed by parents who wanted an English-speaking education for their children. From the days that the “school” met in a garage, to ten building renovations later due to expanding student population, the GAP school now serves more than 1,300 students. Those students will have access to e-reading devices and digital libraries through the arrangement.
Additionally, fifty students and the nine-teacher faculty of the Mdatya Public School, also in South Africa, benefited from Worldreader’s alliance with the Matthew E. Russell Foundation and Advance Education.
In Malawi, Worldreader worked with the ten teachers and 280 students of the Namalomba School to put fifty e-readers and ebooks in the school’s library, thanks to the organization’s support from The Rosemary Pencil Foundation. Worldreader also worked with the faculty on training in how to best utilize digital books in the classroom and library settings.
A report from Gillian Rose, president of The Rosemary Pencil Foundation, described the impact the donation stands to have in the educational setting: “Over and over again, the speakers expressed their gratitude and promised to look after the e-readers and said how they felt this would enhance the learning experience at this school. They were proud to be the recipient of such a gift.” After the presentation, a demonstration of how the devices can impact learning took place, when “a teacher assembled Form Three and taught a class using the devices. The students were asked to turn to a particular textbook and a particular chapter and the teacher asked questions.”
Worldreader’s mission abroad is to bring virtually limitless content to outlying areas through the use of devices and digital publishing. Studying and documenting the ongoing impact of access to books is a focal point for the charity.
Mercy Pilkington is a Senior Editor for Good e-Reader. She is also the CEO and founder of a hybrid publishing and consulting company.
