Only 22% of South African primary school children reach the lowest PIRLS 2006 International Benchmark of reading achievement, the worst performing country of any in the PIRLS study. Only 40% of South African primary schools have a library and most children are not taught in their mother tongue. In South Africa and throughout the developing world, there is a structural shortage of qualified teachers. Going through life without reading skills vastly limits development opportunities.

The poor standards in South African schools result in great demand from local schools for literacy intervention and our help2read programme. Help2read is able to not only provide access to books to those learners who need it the most but also provide them with a dedicated reading helper to facilitate the reading process. Unless the many children who lack even the most basic reading skills get enjoyment and exposure to books and reading, they spend their lives struggling to catch up.