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Volkswagen Group South Africa’s (VWSA) commitment to ensuring that Grade 3 learners in the Uitenhage area are functionally literate received another boost this week with the opening of a second Literacy Centre in Uitenhage. The Literacy Centre was opened at the Mngcunube Primary School in KwaNobuhle, Uitenhage. The ceremony was attended by Executive Mayor Athol Trollip and District Director of Education, Mr Gorgonzola.
The aim of the centre, located in Mngcunube Primary School, is to provide structured literacy support to learners, teachers and parents.
“Early Childhood Development not only means focussing on the learners but also on the teachers and parents/caregivers of the children. Making sure that all three have the tools to learn, teach and guide is important to the success of this legacy project”, said Thomas Schaefer, Chairman and Managing Director of Volkswagen Group South Africa.
In 2015, together with the Minister of Basic Education Angie Motshekga, the Volkswagen Community Trust (VWCT) launched a Literacy Programme where Volkswagen made a commitment to ensure that all learners in Uitenhage are functionally literate by the time they reach Grade 3. This was then followed, by amongst others, the opening of the first literacy centre at Ntlemeza Primary School in 2017. The five schools chosen for this Legacy Project were Ashton Gontshi, Mngcunube, Noninzi Luzipho, Ntlemeza and Vuba Primary Schools all situated in KwaNobuhle, Uitenhage.
Volkswagen spends at least 80% of its CSI budget on Education and Early Childhood Development, which includes the renovation of facilities; training and mentorship of teachers and parents/caregivers as well as the establishment of literacy centres.
“Leaving a legacy in the Uitenhage Community is very important for us as a company. We realise it is a huge undertaking but we have to start somewhere. If we can have functionally literate Grade 3’s moving into the senior phase of the primary schools in the Uitenhage area, we will be leaving a legacy which will continue to grow as those learners move into society as literate individuals,” concluded Thomas Schaefer.
