To help people throughout Africa develop their reading, learning, and information and communication skills so that they may become independent life-long learners.

READ’s vision is that all South African learners will have access to an education that will enable them to realise their potential. Only then will the country’s economic growth become a reality. This vision cannot be achieved single-handedly, but through partnerships it is possible to make a significant impact.

Read Educational Trust was founded in 1979 in response to the plea for better education and access to books, as voiced by learners in the Soweto uprising. It is an independent, non-profit organisation that works closely with the Department of Education at all levels - national, provincial and district - focusing on building literacy into the formal education system.