Literacy activist winner of second Nal’ibali storytelling contest
THERE is no culture in which storytelling, in some shape or form, is not practised.
From folk tales and songs to biographies and plays, stories are the vessel in which human beings relay emotions, messages and identity.
Regardless of the way stories are told, or what medium is used to express them, they are the mirrors that reflect social values, ideas and beliefs in a culture.
They are the vehicle that allow children to bond with their elders, connect with the past and also start to understand how to make sense of the world around them in the present.
As a hobby exercised in families, it is a tool of interaction between elders and children.
These stories are often the first step to literacy development.
As South African author Zukiswa Wanner has said: “These are the tales that children love, they are the ones they ask to hear again and again.
“These stories are the ones that turn children into readers.”
The power in stories lies not only in how they encourage children to start reading, but in the interaction between the storyteller and the listener.
For most children, the first stories they hear are from adults around them.
Simply telling a child about your day, your own childhood, fairy tales you once loved, becomes an ongoing dialogue between you and the child.
It is this interaction that is nurturing and encouraging for children. It motivates them to ask questions, engage and start spinning their own narratives.
This is why the reading-for-enjoyment campaign Nal’ibali launched its second Story Bosso drive.
Story Bosso is a national multilingual storytelling talent search aimed at adults and children to reignite the love of storytelling in South Africa.
This year, Nal’ibali received close to 3 000 story entries, in different languages, from people across the country.
Following a month-long talent search campaign, Nal’ibali is proud to crown Nonhlanhla Hadebe, of Daveyton, the 2016 Story Bosso winner.
Nonhlanhla, a registered FUNda Leader, is a literacy activist who runs her own reading club, and volunteers her time at the Daveyton Library, where she reads to her Early Childhood Development (ECD) groups twice a week.
Nal’ibali is excited to unveil her as its 2016 winner. Nonhlanhla won herself a R3 000 cash prize and a mobile hanging library.
Her winning story will also be published as a book.
Story Bosso was an exciting opportunity for her as reading and telling stories are a huge part of her life.
“Story Bosso gave me another chance to showcase my passion for youth development through literacy,” she said.
Storytelling is one of the greatest tools we have to develop not just our children’s curiosity and imaginations, but also their sense of empathy and belonging.
Carole Bloch, director of Praesa (the Project for the Study of Alternative Education in South Africa), a co-founder of the Nal’ibali campaign, said. “Storytelling and reading aloud allows us to build connections with each other by passing on knowledge and providing a shared experience while at the same time being important building blocks of literacy learning.”
Throughout September (Literacy and Heritage Month), people of all ages – children, parents, caregivers, teachers, librarians – were invited to enter the talent search contest.
The role of language and heritage is important when it comes to literacy.
This is why Heritage Month is the ideal foundation to also promote Literacy Month. Children who can understand and relate to the books and stories that are shared with them are more likely to develop an interest in other stories and books.
It is this storytelling domino effect that has the power to create a reading culture in South Africa.
Regardless of what month it is, sharing stories with the children around you is the first step to creating real change in communities in South Africa.
All it takes is an adult and a story to change a child’s life.
To find out more about Nal’ibali and Story Bosso, go to www.nalibali.org
To find out more about becoming a FUNda Leader, visit http://nalibali.org/funda-leader
For more information about the Nal’ibali reading-for-enjoyment campaign and the Story Bosso competition, and reading tips and stories in a range of South African languages, visit www.nalibali.org, www.nalibali.mobi or find them on Facebook and Twitter: nalibaliSA.