Ford drives the Rally to Read in the Eastern Cape.
For more than 28 years, Ford has been a committed partner of Rally to Read, by delivering books, teaching materials and teacher aids to rural schools. That’s not to say the partnership has failed to evolve; since 2019, Ford has organised and hosted its own single-funded Rally to Read events together with the READ Educational Trust, mobilising vehicles, employees, volunteers and partners to deliver books, classroom libraries and educational resources.
Another impactful development is Ford’s donation of three Transits to the READ Educational Trust. The vehicles will help the organisation reach under-resourced schools more efficiently while transporting literacy materials and supporting educators across the country. One of the vehicles has also been converted into a mobile library, enabling trainers to reach even more learners and communities.
The importance of establishing a good literacy foundation can’t be overstated. When learners are unable to read or write, they are automatically excluded from other subjects such as maths and science. This has a downward spiral effect on their ability to apply for a wide range of career opportunities down the road.
Ford supporting some schools in the Eastern Cape for this year’s rally.
“At Ford, we believe that if our community investments are not creating generational impact, they are unlikely to change the trajectory of people’s lives,” said Neale Hill, president of Ford Motor Company, Africa.
“Our approach is what we describe as ‘cradle to vocation’, recognising that meaningful economic participation begins with strong foundations in the earliest years of education. Literacy sits at the very beginning of that journey. When children learn to read with understanding, they unlock the ability to succeed in every other subject, ultimately creating pathways to opportunity and shared prosperity.”
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This year’s rally – the second year of the current three-year programme – supported schools in the Nelson Mandela Bay and Sarah Baartman district. The Eastern Cape holds a particular interest for Ford, having set up operations in 1923 to build the Model T, and its Struandale Engine Plant in Gqeberha continues to build engines for local and export markets.
“When you intervene in literacy during the earliest years of education and sustain that work over decades, you are not simply running a programme,” Hill said. “You are creating what we believe is a generational correction mechanism that helps unlock opportunity for children and communities over the long term.
“A child who first discovered a love of reading in a rural classroom twenty years ago may today be raising a family of their own. The impact of that moment cannot always be captured in a report or spreadsheet, but it shapes futures in very real ways,” concludes Hill.