With almost 90% of the schools in South Africa not having access to libraries, the need is great, but the track record to date shows that the introduction of containerised libraries have improved literacy by an average of 22%.

Participate for Good and the Mandela Day Libraries campaign have been funding containerised libraries since 2011, with more than 40 000 children being reached daily. Along the Joberg2C route alone a total of 9 libraries have been delivered. It is a gradual process, but the results are real and life-changing.

Independently collected statistics have shown that:

Each boy who learns to read stays in school a minimum of 2 years longer, while girls generally finish high school.

The average male child's earning potential improves by almost 200% once he leaves school.

The average female child's earning potential improves by almost 2200% mainly due to finishing high school.

Every single library that has been deployed so far is still operational 5 years down the line and will continue operating under the program's guidance for at least 15 years.

I am Victor, just another mountain biker who is grateful for the opportunity to ride my bike in a truly incredible country, and the ability to loose myself in the world of books. This is my appeal to you to help the Mandela Day Libraries initiative build our collective future one child at a time. 

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