Literacy is at the heart of basic education for all, and essential for eradicating poverty, reducing child mortality, curbing population growth, achieving gender equality and ensuring sustainable development, peace and democracy.

 

Literacy is a significant and specific goal for Rotary. It is so important that it is one of the 6 areas of focus for The Rotary Foundations Future Vision – basic education and literacy. Such importance has been placed on literacy that Rotary International has created a “Rotary Literacy Month” that takes place during the month of September.

Everyone has the right to learn to read, write and enjoy the power, pleasures and independence of being literate. For some the journey will be easy, for others it will take much hard work and unfortunately for approximately 18 percent of today’s world population it will never happen.

How you can help our Club to reduce this statistic:

  • Join our Club in contributing to one of the many worldwide literacy programs
  • Contribute funds to support existing literacy programs and projects
  • Volunteer to collect books to donate to remote schools around Australia and the world via Donations in Kind
  • Plan a project that focuses on, and rekindles a passion for literacy and numeracy, and promotes the ideal of a basic education for all
  • Report any literacy developments and projects you may be undertaking
  • Read to children every day.

 

Educational Supplies

Responsible schools are a rich source of reusable goods, especially when the entire school community is involved.  We encourage schools to identify every available reusable item.   Donations-in-Kind distributes these items to improve schools in many developing countries where there is a clearly-defined need.

DIK’s goal is to re-purpose all reusable items including:

  • School desks/tables
  • Chairs
  • Teaching resources
  • Library racks and shelves
  • Children’s early learning books
  • School stationery, (pens, pencils, markers, rulers, exercise books, sharpeners, scissors, etc.)
  • Whiteboards

There are several ways that school communities can show they care.  They can donate items to significantly improve schools in poor areas and they can assist in fundraising for the transport costs. Schools can also develop specific relationships with schools in developing countries to find out what specific needs exist and to see the tangible benefit of their donations.

Rotary clubs are encouraged to make contact with schools in their community to promote DIK’s service and to ascertain what goods are available.   

A welcome pallet-load of school stationery, collected and purchased from donations by the Rotary Club of Narre Warren and Casey-Cardinia Rotaract. We thank Sheryl and her team for delivering this load to DIK recently. (right)

All these items, including pens, exercise books, erasers, rulers and scissors will be assembled into teacher and student packs by our volunteers to be distributed throughout the world and to indiginous communities.

 

The new Video about Donations-in-Kind gives an idea of what educational material we have in the store.

Watch it HERE.