JOE (Just One Earth) Lil’brary is an clever concept to help children read books rather than stare at screens, says Nic Campbell, General Manager of Mitsubishi Motors SA.

“We jumped at this opportunity to support this fantastic cause, he says. “ JOE Lil’brary is literally that – a library in a box. The concept is simple. Donate books you have read and are just gathering dust or set up your own lil’brary at your own premise.

“The Mitsubishi Motors Annual Charity Golf Day at Silver Lakes in Pretoria East, will be held in support of this effort and participants, spectators or visitors van delver the books on the day or take it any one of our 41 dealership across the country,” he says.

It does not cost some-one who wants to set up a lil’brary at their creche or school or elsewhere a cent to have a lil’brary installed.

“The movement is filled by generous citizens who believe in the importance of getting South African children back into reading in a digital age.

As Mitsubishi focuses on family wellbeing as far as our products and safety are concerned, we think this is a great way to support children for “Less Screening Time, More Storybook Time”, as the organisers, JOE describe the project,” says Nic.

Sabine Lehmacher who helps running the project, says children misses out on downtime to prevalent in the past where they might have picked up a book. “Now screens fill their time,” she says.

“The result is that children who do not read for pleasure have decreased concentration, memory, confidence, lower self-esteem and general knowledge. Reading build empathy, improves imagination and language development. Reading for pleasure is the single biggest indicator of a child’s success academically – more than social background or parents’ education.”

You can bring the books to the golf day on December the 3^rd, ,JOE Lil’brary or drop them off at your nearest Mitsubishi dealership or send a e-mail to bookdrive@mitsubishi-sa.co.za to make arrangements.

JOE Lil’brary is currently located at the following areas in Gauteng:

Pretoria:

• Pure Cafe Colbyn
• JulieBeanArtisan Coffee
• Tony’s Fully Furnished Pizza Co
• Coffee on 18^th
• The Grove Mall (x3 lil’braries)
• Watermeyer Shopping Centre
• Colbyn Golf Park
• Netcare Unitas Hospital (paediatric ward)
• Glenfair Boulevard at La Cucina Café
• Laerskool Eben Swemmer
• Pierre van Ryneveld Medical Centre
• Elite Wealth Solutions (Rec room)
• Tygervalley Montessori (Pretoria)
• X18 COSUP rehab centres in Tshwane, a University of Pretoria initiative

Krugersdorp:

• Krugersdorp-Wes-boksklub

Johannesburg:

• The After-SchoolZone
• Ferndale Shopping Centre on Republic Road