ALUMNI MOVERS AND SHAKERS
Sine Shabangu has a strong interest in social development, especially in tackling literacy problems in Africa.
Sine Shabangu: empowering people through knowledge and exposure
“To date, two books have been published within The Great African Read book series, which made published co-authors of eight young South Africans, with their stories being shared with those within our network. From the sale of the books as well as through other fundraising activities, we have been able to create two reading rooms – one at Hlokomani Primary School in KwaZulu-Natal (2020) and the most recent at Emazizini Senior Primary School in Gqeberha (2021). These reading rooms will benefit the lives of 981 learners as well as the greater community,” says Sine.
One continent, one vision and one goal to empower our people through knowledge and exposure. That is the vision of Sine Shabangu and her social enterprise HAMSINI NA NNE (HNN). HAMSINI NA NNE is Swahili for fifty-four and carries meaning, like most things in Africa. It is the exact number of countries that make up the African continent and aligns with our vision of impacting communities within the 54 countries, especially by tackling literacy problems, says Sine. HNN’s flagship programme, The Great African Read, has grown in leaps and bounds since its
inception in 2018. The Great African Read runs a full year literacy life cycle where a number of literacy initiatives are carried out, starting with a writing competition that is open to Grade 10 learners across South Africa. The winning stories from the writing competition are then adapted and compiled into The Great African Read book. The proceeds from the sale of the books are used as a primary source to fund a reading room renovation at a rural school that is adopted by the programme. The school is selected based on a need for resources within the school and the greater community.
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