Selected primary schools ended off their first week of the third term on a high note as they received book donations and enjoyed an interactive reading day on either Thursday, 23 or Friday, 24 July.

“The aim of the Collect-a-Book drive is to put books in the hands of learners and bring reading books to life, while making a lasting and memorable difference in schools,” says Zimasa Velaphi, public relations and marketing manager of Collect-a-Can.

Collect-a-Book partners and volunteers made their first stop at Zitha Primary School in Vanderbijlpark on Thursday. The other four primary schools; Chuma Primary School in Khayelitsha, Cape Town; Khalipha Primary School in Umlazi, Durban; Boepakitso Primary School in Diepkloof, Johannesburg and Bokamoso Primary School in Soshanguve, Pretoria; were visited on Friday.

The CANman made a surprise appearance at the selected schools and brought with him boxes of donated reading books to add to the school libraries in exchange for the cans they have collected for recycling. As an added bonus, a selected grade per school were kept entertained with interactive ‘READalicious’ activities in order to help teach them that reading can be fun as it unlocks the boundaries of their imaginations.

“The importance of reading for pleasure cannot be underestimated. A study that was conducted around children and reading showed that reading for pleasure positively influences children's learning abilities, especially with regards to developing their vocabulary, spelling abilities and mathematics skills,” Velaphi continues.

“It is important for us at Collect-a-Can to make sure that the Collect-a-Book drive isn’t a once-off event; schools can look forward to a follow-up visit for International Literacy Day on Tuesday, 8 September where we hope to find that these learners have fallen in love with reading for pleasure,” adds Velaphi.

“Nothing encapsulates the spirit of Mandela Month more than working together to make a positive difference in our underprivileged communities,” she concludes.

For more information, visit www.collectacan.co.za. Alternatively connect with them on Facebook or Twitter.