Building Young People Through Reading and Storytelling

My name is Nontuthuzelo Sibiya, and for more than 20 years, I’ve called this community home. My journey with literacy and community service started long before that, but it’s here in Postmansburg where my story truly took root. 

It all began with something small: opening my home to host a few children. From that act of love, a community library attendance grew. Over time, that little space became so much more it became a place of welcome. A place where children, young people, and elders could come together to read, learn, and feel seen. 

I found myself especially drawn to working with young people. I started clubs that celebrated poetry, reading, and storytelling. One of the projects closest to my heart was called Soul Buddies. It began as part of Soul City, but it quickly became something of our own, a club where young voices could rise, where they could express themselves without fear. 

In 2014, when funding for Soul Buddies came to an end, I couldn’t bring myself to stop. We kept going organising clean-up projects, performing in other provinces, finding ways to keep the energy alive. That passion didn’t disappear. It just transformed. 

So when the Nal’ibali reading programme came to our area, I knew I had to be part of it. It brought together everything I loved – reading, games, poetry, spelling bees, storytelling. It felt like I had come home again. 

Over the years, I’ve never walked this journey alone. People like Kedibone and Thandi joined in with new energy. Together, we brought the library back to life; painting walls, fixing ceilings, and restoring hope. I had been thinking of retiring in 2023, but I told myself, “Wait until it’s done.” And I did. On Mandela Day, the library officially reopened. That moment filled me with pride. 

What keeps me going is simple: the children! I see in them the same challenges I once faced; homes with no books, parents who can’t read, families where storytelling is not a tradition. I wanted to change that. When I learned that many Grade 4 learners couldn’t read, it broke my heart. So I started going to schools, talking to them, reading with them, opening up a different world. 

I’ve seen incredible transformation. Children who used to cry when asked to read now stand tall, perform poetry, and share their stories with pride. Reading, to me, isn’t just about understanding text, it’s about healing, about dreaming, about daring to imagine something better. 

Some of these children have gone on to start their own reading clubs or pursue studies in psychology. That’s the power of giving someone a safe space and believing in them. 

Even parents are starting to see the magic. We’ve hosted open days where children perform in front of them reading stories, acting in Sarafina, singing and dancing. It opens their eyes. They start to understand why we do this. 

To me, working with children isn’t just about literacy, it’s about listening. It’s about giving them space, letting them lead, and saying, “I believe in you.” I always tell them: “You don’t have to be perfect. Just try. And help each other along the way.” 

One of the books that changed my life was The Red Gloves by Karen Kingsbury. I remember being so lost in its pages, I forgot I was at work. Later, I gave it to a man who told me he was ready to give up on life. That book, he said, changed everything. That’s the power of stories. 

Even though I’ve stepped back from leading every day, I haven’t stopped. I still check in. I still support. I still show up because this is more than a library. This is my home. And these children? They are my heartbeat.