Reading changes lives: how you can help a school win a trolley library

In 2021, South African children took part in an international test to establish how well the country’s learners could read. The results, conducted as part of the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study, were not good: they confirmed that only 19% of SA’s 10-year-olds could read for meaning in their home language.

Many South African children struggle to read due to limited access to books and learning materials — this is something the Avbob Road to Literacy campaign, run in partnership with Oxford University Press Southern Africa (OUPSA), is committed to helping to change.

Now in its fourth year, this inspiring annual campaign sees Avbob and OUPSA donate fully stocked mobile trolley libraries to deserving primary schools and educational nonprofit organisations nominated by the public.

“Beyond just giving books away, this campaign is about changing lives and creating lifelong learning opportunities for learners all over SA,” says Zeenat Norton, marketing director at OUPSA.

Books empower children to learn, to dream and to pursue the futures they want. A trolley library gives learners the tools they need to improve their literacy skills and build a love of learning, while strengthening their communities.

This year, Avbob and OUPSA is giving away 1,000 trolley libraries each stocked with 500 books — but they need your help to identify the primary schools and NPOs that would most benefit from winning one.

Help SA children struggling to read: support this worthy campaign and submit your nomination today.

It’s easy to submit your nomination. Here’s how:

Follow these four simple steps to give a primary school or NPO the chance to win a trolley library fully stocked with OUPSA books:

1. Click here to visit the official nomination page for the 2025 Avbob Road to Literacy campaign.
   
   
2. Fill out the form, providing details about the primary school or NPO you’d like to nominate.
   
   
3. Answer key motivation questions — see tips below.
   
   
4. Submit your nomination by the deadline of March 31 2025 and spread the word.

 Tips for writing a winning nomination:

• Reasons for your choice: Explain why your nominee deserves the library. Give details about their commitment to education despite challenges and limited resources.
  
  
• Resource challenges: Describe their struggle to find books. Are there too few books? Are they old or damaged? 
  
  
• How a library would help: Explain how 500 new books would change things for your nominee. Will it improve reading skills, boost reading confidence and a love for learning, or support teachers?
  
  
• Community involvement: How does the school or NPO work with parents, volunteers or local groups? In this section, mention any outreaches, partnerships or local programmes with which your candidate is involved.
  
  
• Reading initiatives: Do they have reading clubs, creative programmes, or special activities to encourage reading? This could include storytelling sessions, buddy reading, or competitions that make literacy fun.
  
  
• Other details: Highlight a special effort, inspiring teacher, or how this library would fulfil a long-time dream.

This article was sponsored by Avbob.