Safrea marks International Literacy Day

Literacy is not just the ability to read and write: it is the key to opening the doors to a lifetime of learning, productive living, active citizenship, and creative expression. Despite all the progress, however, millions of human beings around the world are still excluded from access to basic reading and writing skills.

"Libraries, physical or digital, remain repositories of knowledge and portals to possibility," says Nathi Gule, Safrea’s chairperson. "They nurture curiosity, protect freedom of thought, and ensure that stories, histories and ideas are accessible to all. For media and communications freelancers, literacy is not only the tool of our trade, but also the foundation for democracy, accountability and human rights."

Safrea also identifies the key role that libraries play in:

• Enabling equal access to information regardless of background or income level;
  
• Conserving culture and history while promoting innovation and creativity;
  
• Supporting professional development of skills for knowledge workers, freelancers, and lifelong learners.

With South African education continuing to be challenging, Safrea is calling for government, business, and society to step up sponsorship for literacy programmes and to fund and make libraries accessible to all.

"Literacy empowers individuals, strengthens communities, and robust economies. On International Literacy Day, we confirm our commitment to these values and to the struggle to secure the spaces that make them possible," concludes Gule.