Club 21 cultivates a love of reading among their learners (Photo: Provided)
Progress for the Club 21 school for children with down syndrome’s dream library is well underway, with various schools, publishers, bookstores and volunteers constantly stepping in to make this reading center a reality book by book.
Rhewal it reported earlier that this extremely unique school has specialized in the education and development of people with down syndrome since 2012 and wants to make young people with down syndrome independent in order to enter the world outside.
Down syndrome is a genetic condition caused by an extra copy of chromosome 21, hence the name Club 21.
One of the many ways in which they do this is to cultivate a love of reading in their learners from a young age and thus also curb the misconception that children or people with down syndrome can read poorly or not at all.
That’s why Nicolette van Wyk, Mary-Ann Marais and Lisa du Plessis, whose sons are learners at the Club 21 learning centre, joined forces with various role players to realize this goal with the power of books.
Learners will soon be able to read in the ‘Book Forest’. (Photo: Provided)
The photographer and writer, Albert Bredenhann, also threw his weight behind this project after he heard these three mothers talking about it in a bookshop.
This is how the ball was set to set up the “Boekebos reading centre” for this school.
Nearly 2,000 books have been sent by schools from all over the country in the past month, including Afrikaans High School for Boys Pretoria, Afrikaans High School for Girls Pretoria, Bakenkop Primary School, Parel Vallei High School, Eversdal Primary School, Centurion Christian Primary School, Witteberg High School, Swartkop Primary School, Centurion High School, Rietvlei Academy Lyttelton, De Hoop Primary, Skuilkrans Primary School and Bloemhof Girls High School collected.
Several publishers, including Graffiti Books, Fantasi Publishers, Lig en Duisternis Publishers, Penguin Random House, Reinette Lombaard and José Palmer from the popular Tippie reading series, as well as Exclusive Books and Bargain Books, have helped to fill the Bokebos.
This non-profit school has already received a double-storey container classroom from the Vibro Bricks company which will serve as the reading centre’s shell.
In addition to books, the school has a great need for comfortable furniture in the reading center to make it a friendly place for the children. According to Amanda Fourie, head of the Club 21 learning centre, they also need a computer for a lending system that can be staffed by former students in order to create work for them as well.
“We want our children to understand the world and be able to follow a recipe or read a menu themselves. Reading is that connection that helps them overcome their communication bridge. It also makes them feel part of it and gives their self-confidence a boost.”
- Get in touch with Amanda Fourie at [email protected] to determine how you can contribute to this project.
