South African literacy organisation, help2read, and Seattle Coffee Company have released five limited edition coffee sleeves, each featuring the artwork of primary school learners enrolled in a reading programme from schools around the Western Cape and Gauteng.

The campaign is one that seeks to highlight the power and joy of reading.

Learners from across South Africa’s provinces were invited to design their very own coffee sleeve based on the reasons why they love reading.

Illiteracy is a major concern among primary school goers in South Africa, with more than 50% of learners unable to read for meaning by the end of Grade 4, while 29% are completely illiterate.

In under-resourced and overcrowded schools particularly, teachers are unable to provide the individual attention that struggling readers need to master basic literacy concepts in order to become confident, fluent readers.