Nal’ibali takes reading to WhatsApp
IN A bid to provide free and good quality reading material for children during lockdown, Nal’ibali has published stories via WhatsApp.
The organisation promotes reading among children, and its spokesperson, Ben Rycroft, said WhatsApp was chosen as it was available to those with limited internet access, and it was cost effective.
“At Nal’ibali, we like to meet our audiences where they’re at.
In the first quarter of 2020 we saw a 103% increase in online conversions, meaning more people are consuming our content digitally than ever before. WhatsApp is fast becoming the number one trusted choice for communication globally, so it made sense to capitalise on this digital trend to create more access to our resources. Not only does the platform offer a closed, personal environment in which to communicate one on one, it’s significantly cheaper to use than other mobile network operators. An average standard tariff text message costs R0.51, while a WhatsApp message costs a fraction of that at just R0.00005.”
He added that storytelling and reading are an important part of how parents can keep children engaged and learning while at home.
“And, while many caregivers may feel overwhelmed and ill-equipped to support children with their schoolwork while juggling their own workload, instilling a love of reading and stories in their children is an invaluable investment in their education too, and can be achieved in just a few minutes each day.”
By sending the word “stories” to Nal’ibali’s WhatsApp number on 060 044 2254, families can access up to 10 different stories in their preferred languages.
Stories are currently available in English, Zulu, Xhosa and Afrikaans, but there are plans to include Pedi, Sotho, Tswana and Tsonga stories in the near future.
“Our new virtual reading clubs and 21-day story challenge have both proved to be extremely popular and seamless to access. For more information about the Nal’ibali campaign or to access children’s stories in a range of SA languages, visit www.nalibali.org and www. nalibali.mobi or find them on Facebook and Twitter: @nalibaliSA.