Paternoster Story Hook - Reading Project (South Africa)

Since 2016 the German foundation “Kinder fördern – Zukunft stiften“ is working for this main idea in the little village “Paternoster” located at the northern west coast of South Africa. The residents of Paternoster were living on fishing over generations. Due to the climate change and the overstrung fishing quota, the significance of fishing decreases. In addition to that there are not a lot of alternative income sources. The consequences of this lack of prospects are huge. Crime rates and drug traffic are increasing. Early pregnancies, gang warfare, AIDS and famines are the result. On the one hand all those circumstances are impairing the tourism in Paternoster but on the other hand especially the children of Paternoster are the sufferers. A lack of education and a life on street is the best requirement to get involved with alcohol and drugs. All in all, this situation causes helpless, depressive and spacy children with slight chances to get out of that bad circle.

One of the emphases of our education program is the reading project "Story Hook". Reading together, creating imaginations, telling each other storys - this is the centre of the work that German students and local volunteers render.

“A childhood without books – that would be no childhood. That would be like being shut out from the enchanted place where you can go and find the rarest kind of joy.” (Astrid Lindgren)

Help us with helping! Donate for books and bookshelfs!