A Stellenbosch wine bar recently launched a book drive in celebration of World Literacy Day.
This is according to Bianca Lenhardt, marketing manager of DGB. The books will be donated to the DGB mobile library that rotates between schools in the Cape Winelands.
“The mobile library helps to create a reading culture. Nowadays, all the learners, big or small, read any book they can get their hands on,” said Rosinda Swarts, headmaster of Bergrivier Primary School. It regularly visits schools in the Cape Winelands. PHOTO: Dominique Fuchs
The story behind the mobile library
The mobile library was launched in May 2015 and, since then, it has serviced 16 schools, Lenhardt said. This includes eight schools in the Rawsonville area and, since July 2022, eight schools in the Wellington area, Lenhardt stated.
“Since 2015, the initiative has helped over 3 000 children in disadvantaged schools where libraries and computer centres do not exist,” she said.
The DGB mobile library was launched in May 2015 and, since then, it has serviced 16 schools and helped over 3 000 children in the Cape Winelands, according to Bianca Lenhardt, marketing manager of DGB. PHOTO: Supplied/Thys Lombard
Words for wine
World Literacy Day is celebrated annually on 8 September, but this drive will continue for the next three months until November, said Nico Havenga, Brampton Wine Studio’s manager.
The book drive, called Words For Wine, is an initiative by DGB and Brampton Wine Studio. When a person donates a book, they will receive a free glass of wine, explained Lenhardt. The books will then be donated to the DGB mobile library, she stated.
The books will go into the bus library system where it can be taken out to read at home and brought back every second week when the bus is back at the school after its rotation. This will take place at the end of the campaign period, according to Lenhardt.
“Our expectation is to be able to donate as many books as possible to this worthy cause. If we could reach 1 000 books, that would be the dream,” Havenga said. At the time of publication, on 3 October, only seven books had been donated, according to him.
Nico Havenga, Brampton Wine Studio’s manager, hopes that more than 1 000 books will be donated for the Words For Wine book drive. Books can be donated at Brampton Wine Studio in Stellenbosch. PHOTO: Dominique Fuchs
Making a difference
“The bus serves as a classroom where different classes will rotate and spend their time in the bus with their teacher,” said Lenhardt. “This will help to increase interest in books and reading, developing computer skills, and assisting learners to visually expand their learning, specifically in languages and mathematics.”
One of the schools visited by the mobile library is Bergrivier Primary School. The mobile library is a great asset for this school, according to Rosinda Swarts, the school’s headmaster.
“Our learners have limited access to books. As a result, our literacy levels are very low, as our learners live in a small area with few or no available resources,” she said.
The mobile library visits the school once every two weeks, said Swarts. “Our learners get the opportunity to watch videos, listen to stories, and take out books,” she said.
“The learners’ vocabulary has progressed nicely with the help of the mobile clinic,” said Rosinda Swarts, headmaster of Bergrivier Primary School, one of the schools that receives regular visits from the mobile library. “The learners already write extended sentences and are now more comfortable talking about a specific topic,” she said. PHOTO: Dominique Fuchs