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South African literacy organisation Nal’ibali Trust has received the 2026 Library of Congress International Literacy Prize for its work in spreading reading for pleasure across South Africa in all official languages.
South Africa’s Nal’ibali Trust has received the 2026 Library of Congress International Literacy Prize along with $50 000. Twenty-one organisations were named among the recipients of the prestigious honour this week to mark International Literacy Day.
The Nal’ibali Trust is an organisation that runs a national reading-for-enjoyment campaign reaching millions of South African children and adults since 2012. South African literacy organisation Nal’ibali Trust has received the 2026 Library of Congress International Literacy Prize for its work in spreading reading for pleasure across South Africa in all official languages.
Twenty-one organisations worldwide received awards on International Literacy Day on Tuesday from the biggest library in the world, sharing more than $350 000 in prize money. Of that, the Nal’ibali Trust won the $50 000 international prize. Nal’ibali, meaning “here’s the story” in isiXhosa, is a national reading-for-enjoyment campaign that seeks to spark children’s potential through storytelling and reading.
“Receiving the Library of Congress International Literacy Prize is a powerful validation of the grassroots work happening in our communities every day,” said Lorato Trok, executive director of the Nal’ibali Trust. “This award belongs to our dedicated FUNda Leaders, parents and partners who bring stories to life in living rooms, schoolyards and community halls. They are proving that when children learn to love reading in their home languages, it unlocks a lifetime of learning and opportunity.
”Thousands of local volunteers, storytellers, caregivers and community members, known as FUNda Leaders, lead reading clubs and literacy activities across all nine provinces of South Africa. They help address early literacy gaps by producing and distributing original, culturally relevant stories and reading resources and have reached millions of South African children and adults since inception in 2012. Resources are also provided in all South African languages, as well as in accessible formats such as South African Sign Language and Braille.
As South Africa marks Literacy Month, Nal’ibali is using this international milestone to call on new partners, donors and volunteers to join the movement to build a stronger culture of reading across the country. The $50 000 prize will support the expansion of mother-tongue reading materials, training for literacy volunteers and the strengthening of community reading-club networks nationwide.
“For the Nal’ibali Trust, the International Prize is recognition of a simple but powerful idea that children fall in love with reading when stories come in their own language,” the Trust added in a statement. The Library of Congress Literacy Awards is sponsored by philanthropist David M Rubenstein and honours organisations doing exemplary, innovative and replicable work to advance literacy around the world.
Trust is helping to grow a nation of readers by making reading for pleasure normal, visible and valued in children’s everyday lives across South Africa.
“The organisation produces and distributes high-quality, authentically South African stories and literacy resources in all official written languages, as well as partners with organisations that provide resources in South African Sign Language and Braille in order to increase access to stories for deaf and blind children. ” The top prize of $150 000 went to Projeto Uerê in Brazil for its trauma-informed Uerê-Mello pedagogy, which has served more than 3 000 children in Rio de Janeiro’s Complexo de Maré favela over 30 years.
Another prize worth $100 000 was awarded to the Literacy Center of West Michigan for its adult and family literacy programmes serving 1 300 learners annually. Step into a world where the truth shines bright, and every headline is worth your time. With News24, you're not just reading the news; you are part of a community that values knowledge and insight. Immerse yourself in compelling stories, sharp analyses, and content that keeps you ahead of the curve.
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