Books For Africa Partners with 9Miles Project to Support At-risk Youth in South Africa

The 9Miles Project is a community-based nonprofit that was founded in Cape Town, South Africa, in 2013. Using surfing as a drawcard, 9Miles provides safe spaces and structured afterschool programs for impoverished and vulnerable children in marginalized coastal communities. One of its areas of focus is literacy for at-risk youth and their communities, as illiteracy and unemployment are high among this population.\

With Covid-19 lockdowns happening swiftly last year, the organization ramped up its efforts in response to the need. Children in marginalized communities, who attended low- or no-fee schools with fewer resources were unable to access learning opportunities and risked losing valuable time. This left 9Miles increasingly resolved to strengthen its literacy and academic support program, aiming to bridge the digital divide experienced by impoverished youth and provide access to online learning and literacy resources. The organization received a container shipment of books and some computers that it distributed to schools, nonprofits and reading clubs across Cape Town. The shipping container was also exchanged in a step that contributed towards the building of the Elands Bay Clubhouse in February 2021.

Books For Africa’s Law & Democracy Initiative Director, Lane Ayres, also visited the site and received a surfing lesson from 9Miles, one of the areas they work in to provide children with stimulation and access to recreational activities.

Check out the report from 9Miles and our Flickr album with some photos from this project!