Proceeds from new Bumper Cars poetry book to go to READ to RISE

Co-Founder and Executive Director of READ to RISE, Athol Williams, launched his new poetry book Bumper Cars at The Book Lounge in Cape Town on Thursday 14 April 2016. The book includes the poem ‘Streetclass Diseases’ which won the 2015 Sol Plaatje European Union Poetry Award. Novelist and Poet Dawn Garisch was the discussant on the night.

Williams is a poet and social philosopher, who is currently studying Political Theory at Oxford University. He grew up during apartheid in Mitchells Plain and believes that one can reach their dreams and be free through reading and education. With degrees from Wits, M.I.T., LBS, Harvard University and LSE, Williams exceled in the business world and co-founded READ to RISE in September 2013 – an NGO which inspires children to read in order to ‘rise’ in their personal development and contribution to society despite their circumstance.

“In my poetry I hold up a mirror to humanity to shine a light on the pain we cause and also to remind us of our beauty. It is my hope that this spurs us on to greater beauty.” says Williams.

Bumper Cars is Williams’ third book of poetry and is published by The Onslaught Press (UK). In this book, he continues his project of reflecting upon the circumstances that leads to human conflict. “The free will always bump into each other, this is the very nature of freedom, but the free do not harm each other, rather they collide like bumper cars and bounce off each other, in love, and carry on with their beautiful lives.” says Williams. “How we see each other determines the nature of the society we create.”
He writes about social justice and the human condition, and challenges the thinking of today’s modern world. His poems such as ‘Beggars’ and ‘Empty Spaces‘ makes one question the social norms in which we live.

“An energy pervades this book, a raw, shocking energy. In an age when intellectual robots are in danger of taking over the world of poetry, here’s something hauntingly different, something savage and visceral and human, a cry we cannot ignore. There’s no danger of not knowing what’s going on in these poems, poems such as where to start, a straight-talking, hard-hitting, political poem of the first order” says Irish poet Gabriel Rosenstock.

Williams has also published two children’s books Oaky and the Sun and Oaky the Happy Tree – both books have an inspirational message about finding your true purpose in life and knowing the secret to being happy. READ to RISE uses these books for their classroom programme for Grade 2 and 3 learners to inspire them to read. Williams receives no royalties for these books so that more books can be given to children in under-resourced communities. www.readtorise.co.za

For more about Athol Williams, visit his website www.atholwilliams.com. If you would like to buy a copy of his book Bumper Cars, please email info@readtorise.co.za. All book proceeds go to READ to RISE.

Jerome Mentor running Comrades Marathon so children get books

Running for literacy!
GivenGain campaign by Jerome Mentor
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The 91st edition of the Comrades Marathon will be run on 29 May 2016. This year it’s a down run from Pietermaritzburg to Durban approx 89.9km.
This year I will be running my 16th Comrades Marathon.

Ever since I heard about READ to RISE I wanted to support it. Unfortunately, I’m not able to assist financially at this point in time. I have school going kids of my own, one in Grade 4, one in Grade 10 and my eldest son is in his first year at college. I’m a self-employed bookbinder and I work alone from home.

When I heard about the GivenGain initiative I saw this as the ideal opportunity for me to get involved.
I attended Parkhurst Primary School in Westridge, Mitchells Plain, so I am aware of the challenges the children face. I hope to raise funds so that each of the 154 Grade 2 learner at Parkhurst Primary School can get their own new story book to take home. For some, this will be the first book that they will own.

Please support this great cause. Join me in my run for new books for children at Parkhurst Primary School!

Thank you!

https://www.givengain.com/ap/jmentor/

Progress to date - 10k children in Mitchells Plain still need your help

To date, we have raised funds for 4,700 children but 10k children still need your help. Help us visit their class to do our programme and give each child a new book to take home.

Visit www.readtorise.co.za

To sponsor a book, it only costs R45 (or  $4).

READ to RISE nominated for the 2016 Civicus Nelson Mandela Graca Machel Innovation Awards

We are delighted to be a nominee for the 2016 Civicus Nelson Mandela Graca Machel Innovation Awards.

Please show your support by clicking on the link and 'liking' or commenting.

http://www.youcanbethechange.com/index.php/organisation-nominations/838-read-to-rise


Thank you we appreciate the support!

Our Plan for Mitchells Plain in 2016 - Join us in getting a book to over 14,000 learners!

READ to RISE - Looking back at a wonderful 2015

A Successful 2015 for READ to RISE!

It's been an incredible year for READ to RISE.

We've visited over 244 classes at 69 primary schools in Mitchells Plain, Soweto, Centurion and Soweto  and given out 20,287 new books! This includes 15,909 OAKY AND THE SUN books and 93 classroom Mini-Libraries (each containing 50 new story books).

Johannesburg

This year we started operations in Johannesburg. We appointed Steve Tsakiris as Programme Manager for JHB. In April we then hired two part-time Programme Assistants, Nontokozo and Sipamandla, who live in Soweto. 35 classes were visited at 17 primary school in Soweto, Eldorado Park and Centurion. 1329 Grade 3 learners each received their own new copy of OAKY AND THE SUN to take home and 28 Mini-Libraries of 50 new story books were placed in these Grade 3 classes. A total of 2739 new books were given out during the year!

Steve and his team started a weekly reading group, in partnership with UJ students at Thaba-Tshehlo Primary School in Naledi.

Here is a great video put together by Get US There about our school visit to Footprints P.L.A.Y with Sandton Roundtable 121 who sponsored books and a Mini-Library. https://vimeo.com/137919939

We had some great book covering events in JHB hosted by Rene Roberts-Patel, Vikki Harry and Elizabeth Cameron-Cardoso.

 

Mitchells Plain

In January, we appointed an Office Administrator, Madeneya Bardien, to assist Programme Director, Taryn Lock and Mitchells Plain Programme Manager Roscoe Williams. Maddie has been a wonderful additional to the team.

We were very fortunate to be selected as one of the 5 For Change beneficiaries for 2015. We received R40k from the event and this went towards Oaky books and Mini-Libraries for 8 classes in Mitchells Plain.

Watch the video: https://www.facebook.com/readtorise/videos/vb.1422145877997272/1648775885334269/?type=2&theatre




We were also part of the PRE-SONA Deputy President's Youth Engagement in February, where we got to meet Deputy President, Cyril Ramaphosa.

Old Mutual partnered with READ to RISE for Mandela Day. Old Mutual staff assembled activity packs, made puzzles and made felt posters. They also sponsored books and Mini-Libraries for 20 classes!

 

Liberty sponsored 6700 OAKY AND THE SUN books for children across Africa and staff in JHB, CT and Durban covered all the books!

 

 

For our #67MiniLibraries Thundafund Campaign during Mandela Month we managed to raise R33k for 12 Mini-Libraries for schools in Mitchells Plain.


In 2014, we had visited 28 primary schools (out of the 45 in Mitchells Plain) and gave out a total of 6420 new books. In 2015, we visited 208 classes at 51 primary schools and gave out a 7880 OAKY AND SUN books and 64 Mini-Libraries - a total of 10,808 new books!

This year, every Grade 2 learner in Mitchells Plain received their own OAKY AND THE SUN book! That's 7380 children!

During August "Womens Month", our Co-Founder and Programme Director, Taryn Lock, was named one of Cape Town's 5 Fearless Females for 2015. Click here to read more.

Our MP Programme Manager, Roscoe, was also named LeadSA Hero for September 2015.

We were also featured on Expresso in July https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61tftur_fw0

Volunteers

We have amazing group of 8 volunteers who come to our office in Claremont every Wednesday for 3 hours and cover books in plastic for children in Mitchells Plain. We have a book covering session in Claremont the second last Saturday of every month. We also have quarterly book covering sessions hosted by Seaview Primary School in Rocklands Mitchells Plain. A book covering session was also held by the Westridge Yankees baseball club as well as FNB Promenade. For their birthday, Charlene Feyder and Virgil Peters got guests to sponsor and cover a book for a child in need - such a great idea!

 

 

 

 

 

Throughout the year, we've had wonderful individuals join us at our school visits to read to the children - Ursula Chikane, Guy McDonald, Brandan Reynolds, Joy Witten, Zelda O'Brien, Jenny Barenbrug, Aaron Tejada and Nicholas Williams (READ to RISE Board Member)... to name a few.

 

 

In total, we've had over 100 individuals volunteer with READ to RISE, to read to children or cover books.

Events

In February, we had a Volunteer Appreciation Breakfast at the Southern Sun in Newlands.

On 9 September, we launched our new classroom programme "OAKY THE HAPPY TREE' for Grade 3s in Mitchells Plain and Grade 4s in Soweto. This is the sequel to OAKY AND THE SUN and was written by Athol Williams. The story is about the secret to happiness and there's even a happy song which will stick in your head for days :)

 

On Saturday 4 September, we had a High Tea Fundraiser at the Rondebosch East Primary School where Ursula Chikane (who flew down from JHB especially for us!) was the guest speaker and BlaqPearl performed. Local MP Comedian Darren Amos was the MC. R16k was raised, which will go towards 4 new Mini-Libraries for primary schools in Mitchells Plain. Thank you to al who attended this fabulous event especially to the 15 hostesses who decorated their tables so beautifully. Congrats to Imtithaal Dawood who won the Best Hostess prize!

Special Guest Speaker Ursula Chikane

 

Peformer BlaqPearl

Imtithaal Dawood - Best Hostess

MC: Darren Amos

Sneak Preview of OAKY THE HAPPY TREE - Author Athol Williams and Illustrator Taryn Lock (Co-Founders of READ to RISE)

 

Our Pencil Drive was very successful, over 2000 pencils were donated for us to distribute.

Comedy Sundowner at Hanover Street at GrandWest Casino - Sun International donated R10,000 towards new books for children in Mitchells Plain.

With hard work comes great success

It's been a very good year - R1.3m was raised for the year towards new books for children - amazing!

We thank all our sponsors, partners, staff, volunteers and fans - we couldn't have done all this without you!

The Team

Cape Town Team: From left Roscoe Williams (Mitchells Plain Programme Manager), Taryn Lock (Co-Founder & Programme Director), Athol Williams (Co-Founder & Executive Director), Madeneya Bardien (Business Operations Manager) and Aaron Tejada (volunteer).

 

JHB Team: From left Steve Tsakiris (JHB Programme Manager), Vikki Harry (volunteer), Siphamandla Mncube (Programme Assistant), Nontokozo (Programme Assistant) and Rene Roberts-Patel (volunteer).

We thank Roscoe and Steve, as Programme Managers for Mitchells Plain and Soweto respectively, for managing the school visits, liaising with volunteer readers, inspiring children and giving out the books. Thank you to Roscoe for inspiring children at libraries, managing book covering sessions in Mitchells Plain and sourcing books for the Mini-Libraries. Thank you Steve for establishing a JHB presence and for your fundraising efforts. Great work to you both and we hope that you continue this great work in 2016!

We thank Madeneya who assists Taryn with the admin, stocks, events and marketing. She is responsible for the book covering sessions. She also ensures that the Programme Managers have all the books, materials, etc. that they need for their visits. Madeneya also occasionally joins Roscoe on some school visits.

We thank Co-Founder and Programme Director Taryn Lock for building a great organisation and running operations efficiently. She does everything from managing the governance, finances, stakeholder relations, fundraising, marketing to designing the classroom programmes. She also illustrated the new OAKY THE HAPPY TREE book. For the last 2 years, Taryn, has generously not taken a salary, for this we are most appreciative!

We thank Co-Founder and Executive Director Athol Williams for his guidance, leadership, inspiration and belief in our team to do amazing things. He wrote OAKY THE HAPPY TREE for our new classroom programme and we look forward to the new OAKY books to come. We thank you for fundraising, for promoting youth literacy in South Africa, for donating your own money into READ to RISE and for volunteering all your time!

Thank you to our Board Members -  Athol Williams, Taryn Lock, Nicholas Williams, Kim Ward and Sibongile Magwaza - for your wonderful support.

READ to RISE has had an amazing year giving out over 20,000 books and with some great events during the year. Thank you to all our sponsors, partners, volunteers and supporters! We look forward to inspiring more children in 2016! Together we can do more and get more books to children in need. Let's keep getting children to read... to rise!