This week, the first unit of the Happiness Project has reached the children we work with in De Kop informal settlement. It is the beginning of a new phase in our efforts to work with children remotely instead of through workshops. During lockdown – from early March to late September – we sent out 100 […]
Time for new Happiness! Read More »
This project has been in our minds throughout lockdown when it was imperative to get material out there as fast as possible – and to make it appropriate, suitable and enough to keep children of different ages interested and occupied during seven months (as it turned out) of restriction. It wasn’t easy for anybody, but
Outline of the Happiness Project (1) Read More »
‘Never waste a good crisis’ Memorably said by Winston Churchill, this remains a very significant way of looking at things. This has not been a year any of us will forget but thinking on our feet is sometimes positive as well as necessary. The CBN team have devised a whole new way of working with
New Version CBN Book Club Read More »
A summary for those who are short of time… Children’s Book Network approaches 10 years of working with children without books or a love of reading. This is happening in a year of global disaster and disruption. We cannot, and must not, give up on children who now – more than ever – need the
Introduction Soon, it will be ten years since CBN began to work with children from poor communities who had little interest in books and reading. Those of us who love children and love books felt that we had to DO something about these lost readers. Children who would never dive headfirst into a book, swim
Twenty-Twenty Vision: The way forward for Children’s Book Network Read More »
If ever we needed it, it’s now! But we have been forced to admit that it is not possible to achieve all we wanted to do in the circumstances of even more necessary lockdown. Playing music, showing film clips of our New York collaborating author, Kate Hosford, and enjoying the treats we have planned are
Update on the Happiness Project Read More »
We have been very fortunate to receive funding from Rotary Rotweil that will enable us to continue our reading programme for children out of school. This was cause for celebration. We know we have to do this, but it is impossible without money to buy stationary and to pay for the considerable photocopying costs. (One
Lock-Down Learning Rides again! Read More »
We are glad to report that the eight weeks of Lockdown Learning is extended for another week and that Vuyo reports a really good response to the 20-page (sometimes more) reading booklets CBN distributed. Many thanks to our generous friends in Germany who funded this project. Lockdown is not yet over – in fact, South
Reporting on our Lockdown Learning Read More »
Children’s Book Network has nearly completed an 8-week reading programme called Lockdown Learning with children in De Kop and Stanford South. Circumstances are not easy – especially as the weather has turned wet and cold, but Vuyo Siza and her husband Phumlani are doing a great job of reaching the children in their community. We
Eight weeks on … Lockdown Learning Read More »
We are really thrilled that three long-standing friends of CBN are joining us internationally to raise funds for the continued work of CBN at a time when it is more necessary than ever. They are (in alphabetical order) Anele Mhlahlo who was a faithful member of our workshop team and served on our board for
Introducing our Funding Ambassadors Read More »
Now in it’s fifth week, with daily activities, reading, writing and illustrating as well as games and songs, we hope this is making a difference in difficult times. The weather has changed, and the glorious autumn days of early lockdown have been replaced by proper Cape winter weather. Cold and wet and stormy. Vuyo is
Lockdown Learning continues Read More »
Each week since the 11th of May, we have distributed CBN Lockdown Learning Booklets to our children in De Kop settlement in Stanford. Each booklet is based on a special theme. Topics and activities have to be created with built-in stories as getting books to each child is impossible in lockdown. Our team is writing
Children’s Book Network Lockdown Learning Programme Read More »
In mid-June, for the last week of our Lockdown Learning project, we are introducing a programme designed to remind us all about free-range joy, something that has also gone into lockdown these past months. Whales and tales, dancing and making music, beautiful illustrations and incredible artwork. All of these will be part of the fun
The Happiness Project Read More »
There was a joyful response from children at De Kop informal settlement on Monday 11th May, when the starter kits were handed out with Week One of activities (a 20-page booklet of games, writing, drawing and communicating – and reading, of course). You can view this booklet here, or by downloading it below: https://www.childrensbook.co.za/home-reading-ideas There
Lockdown Learning begins! Read More »
A funding appeal without the number 19 in it! Instead, we would like to invite you to join the Children’s Book Network Thousand Club. The past weeks have been a time of coming to terms with a changed reality. We know that, when we wake up again out of lockdown, things are going to be
Children’s Book Network 1000 Club Read More »
In these extraordinary times, we have to think – and act – quickly. Now that lockdown restrictions have been slightly lifted (and we can, for example, buy stationery supplies again), we are ready to jump into action. During the first month of lockdown the CBN team has developed materials for distribution through our website with
CBN Lockdown Learning Programme for Stanford and De Kop Children Read More »
In these extraordinary times, we have to think – and act – quickly. Now that lockdown restrictions have been slightly lifted (and we can, for example, buy stationery supplies again), we are ready to jump into action. Now we can take these ideas to the communities we work with. This still has to be done
CBN Lockdown Learning – Week 1 Booklet Read More »
Daily Story – 1 May Something is following Unathi… Read all about it in ‘Unathi and the dirty, smelly beast’ by clicking the PDF download below. This is another absolute gem of a read from Book Dash. Be sure to visit their website for more: https://bookdash.org/ Unathi and the Dirty, Smelly Beast Illustrated by Jess
Unathi and the dirty, smelly beast – Book Dash Read More »
Daily Story – 30 April Read ‘The old woman’s soup’ by downloading the PDF below. This magical tale from Nali’bali takes us to a village with a mysterious recipe for chicken soup – enjoy! Visit https://nalibali.org/ for more wonderful reads.
The old woman’s soup Read More »
Daily Story – 29 April In a village on the slopes of Mount Kenya, a little girl worked in the fields with her mother. She worried as she saw the big forests disappearing, but she knew the power of a tiny seed. Download the PDF below. This book is another gem from Book Dash: https://bookdash.org/
