Readers R Leaders

Tell us a bit about your Cause - who are you and what do you do?

Readers R Leaders is a community based voluntary organisation that assists primary school learners on a one-on-one basis to read or improive their English reading. The founding member Cyril Turton is originaly from the community, and this has helped in organising and relating to the community and their needs. Presently we are at 3 primary schools in the JHB West Rand area and associated with two more schools in the Riverlea area. We are also busy helping people in Soweto, Northcliff and Noordgesig to implement similar initiatives.

We spread a culture of reading by:

• running writing competitions

• inviting motivational speakers to the schools

• facilitating the opening libraries at schools

• running a Street Library where free books are given to the community

• involving the parents in public discussions about the importance of their role in the education of their children

• our latest addition is “The Phendulani book Quiz”, which involves five primary schools in our communities.

All these activities are intended to promote a culture of reading, the basis of education.

Why did you get started?

The communities we work in and where the volunteers come from is experiencing chronic unemployment and a lack of development of any sort. Every social ill that you can think of is taking place in our community. I, Cyril Turton (Founder), wanted to involve myself in the community so that I can have a lasting impact on the youth. In my mind it is education that can turn our communities around for the better. Every adult in the community has the power to change a child’s life around for the better. It is for this reason that I chose to spread a culture of reading in my communities – the basis of education.

I have been involved in RRL for five years now.

Tell us the one beneficiary story – a person you helped – that keeps you going

I will share two of such stories with you: 

We had a young female learner (I will name her Jane) in grade three who could not read one word and spoke so softly you literally had to place your ear against her mouth to hear her speak. Her teacher was convinced that Jane had to go to remedial school. After a few months there was still no progress and in our RRL meetings we decided to step back, hoping a school psychologist and the schooling system would take over to map out her schooling future. I decided to carry on with Jane because my feelings said I must, the something that speaks to you from inside your heart. Thank God we kept Jane in the program.

One day on a weekend I was passing the local shopping area and heard a girl shout my name “hello uncle Cyril”, I looked around and it was Jane. I stopped and went over to greet her and her mother. Her mother thanked me for our work. I couldn’t hide my surprise at Jane’s confidence. The mother said that Jane is now reading to the family. At school Jane is now putting up her hand and participating in class. Jane use to walk with her head bowed, now she has a skip and a jump in her walk. This is 18 months later; Jane could have been lost to the system if we gave up on her.

Thabo (not his real name) could not read one English word as he was never or seldom exposed to English. Six months later Thabo could read and speak English. Thabo was passed out of RRL and could now cope in class. A few days later RRL was called to the principal’s office only to be confronted with Thabo’s father. Thabo wanted to stay with RRL and he wanted his father to speak to us to let him stay in RRL.

These stories speak a thousand words about the work that we do. All this is being done by volunteers with no money coming through the organisation.