Enhancing Science Partnerships for Innovation and Sustainable Development

The aid initiative "Rally to read!" distributes books to schools in distant parts of South Africa which can no longer be reached by the state system. The initiative collaborates with non-governmental organisations and companies and, with its book deliveries, promotes reading competence among South Africa's schoolchildren – thereby also enhancing their self-confidence.

The "Rally to read!" initiative keeps in touch with the cooperating schools throughout the year. The highlight of its work is the annual delivery of the crates of books which are received joyously in the villages. This year, crates of books will be delivered to 135 South African schools.

The objectives of these book deliveries are to encourage children to enjoy reading and to impart knowledge in a fun-filled way. By reading, the schoolchildren not only boost their own self-confidence, but also gain ideas and stimuli for their own future plans. In a report about "Rally to read!" broadcast by the German television programme Tagesschau, for example, a boy declared that he wanted to become a doctor to help the people in his region because there was no hospital there. "Rally to read!" collaborates on an equal footing with the South African schools. The initiative's sponsors accompany the tour in order to exchange views with the schoolchildren and teachers in the localities.

The encouragement of young people and the communication of values are also playing a crucial role in the German-South African Science Year 2012/2013. What knowledge will be crucial for the future and what is the best way of preparing the next generation for it? How do people decide what is ethically right and what are the values by which they coexist within a society? These urgent questions will be tackled over the coming months in projects and events with the thematic focal points of "human capital development" and "humanities and social sciences" under the umbrella of the German-South African Science Year 2012/2013.

For the Tagesschau report on the "Rally to read!" initiative, please go to www.tagesschau.de/ausland/suedafrika274.html (in German). Information about the "Rally to read!" initiative is provided by the website www.rallytoread.co.za (in English). This site provides a constant flow of information about the thematic focal points of "human capital development" and "humanities and social sciences" in the German-South African Science Year 2012/2013.