Kha ri Gude (Tshivenda for 'let us learn') teaches adults who missed out on their schooling, and who cannot read or write, in literacy classes that held all over South Africa.
Enabling the right to literacy is one of the greatest gifts that any government can give its people, since it opens so many opportunities for better understanding and, in South Africa, for realising the benefits brought about by our new democracy.
The Campaign was launched in February 2008, to enable 4,7 million adults above the age of 15 years to become literate and numerate in one of the 11 official languages. Achieving this goal will enable South Africa to reach its UN: Education For All Commitment made at Dakar in 2000, namely that of halving the country's illiteracy rate by 2015.
Initiated and managed by the Department of Basic Education, Kha Ri Gude delivers across all nine provinces. The campaign enables adult learners to read, write and calculate in their mother tongue in line with the Unit Standards for Adult Basic Education and Training (Abet) Level One, and also to learn spoken English. The specifically designed campaign material teaches reading, writing and numeracy and integrates themes and life skills such as health, gender, the environment and civic education. The material has been adapted for use in Braille in 11 languages, and for use by the hearing impaired.
The campaign makes specific efforts to target vulnerable groups.
- In 2011, 80% of the learners were women, 8% people with disabilities, 25% were youth, and 20% were above the age of 60.
- Kha Ri Gude provides visually impaired learners with a range of assistive devices, including braillette boards and Perkins braillers for use in class. Learner packs include a full set of material in Braille and a talking calculator. The large-scale printing of Braille material is made possible by Kha Ri Gude owning one of the two high-bulk printers available in South Africa.
Between the inception of the programme and March 2011, approximately 1,5 million learners became literate. From 2010 to March 2011, 609 199 learners successfully completed the programme.
Allocations to the Kha Ri Gude illiteracy programme increased from R468 million in 2010/11 to more than R520 million in 2012/13.
- The Department of Education published a progress report in August 2009.
- Transcript of media briefing on Cabinet meeting of 6 August 2008, where the campaign was discussed.
More about Kha ri Gude
- Kha ri Gude
- Department of Basic Education
- For more information contact the campaign call centre: 0800 20 29 33
