Cultivating a legacy of literacy & peace.
Reading, storytelling and creative learning for primary school children in Cape Town.
"The Stories That Ran Away"
Primary Schools Reading Programme
A collaborative reading programme delivered in primary schools across Cape Town, designed to build literacy, comprehension and creative thinking through stories and art.
Delivered in collaboration with
What the Programme Does
Children Don't Just Read — They Experience the Story
Stories come alive through art, movement and interactive learning. Children draw, build, act out and discuss what they read — turning a single story into a multi-sensory experience that strengthens memory and meaning.
"We construct creative pieces using recycled materials and bring storybook characters to life from our storybooks."
- Art created from recycled materials
- Storybook characters brought to life through hands-on craft
- Movement, role-play and group reflection
- Visual and tactile learning aids
Equipping Teachers, Multiplying Impact
We invest in the educators who shape young readers every day. Our facilitator training and continuous professional development (CPD) programmes equip teachers with practical, modern tools to teach literacy more effectively.
- Facilitator training programmes
- Continuous professional development (CPD)
- Improved teaching methods for literacy
- Ongoing classroom support and mentoring
A Multi-Sensory Learning Experience
Inspired by exhibition-style learning experiences like Zeitz MOCAA, our programme immerses children in stories through sight, sound, touch and imagination.
Interactive storytelling
Visual learning
Creative activities
Safe & nurturing spaces
Mobile Kezlei Storytelling Initiative
We are planning a mobile Kezlei storytelling initiative to reach farm and coastal communities — bringing reading, stories and creative learning directly to children who live far from urban schools and libraries.
Building an Infrastructure for Peace
In August 2026, the Kezlei Foundation participated in the Western Cape Provincial Dialogue — a gathering hosted by the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation (IJR) and South African Women in Dialogue (SAWID), with the support of the Embassy of Ireland in South Africa, as part of the Ireland-funded project "Promoting the Women and Youth Peace and Security Agendas."
The dialogue formed part of a broader effort to strengthen community-based peace infrastructure and advance South Africa's National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security, anchored in United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325.
For the Kezlei Foundation, this work is deeply connected to our classrooms: when we invest in children on the Cape Flats through literacy, storytelling and creative learning, we help build the safe, hopeful communities where peace can take root — reducing the pull of gender-based violence, gangsterism and crime.
An inclusive platform bringing together women drawn from faith-based organisations, traditional authorities, academia, civil society and community peacebuilding networks, to contribute toward strengthening peace infrastructure in the province.— Western Cape Provincial Dialogue invitation
Key areas of discussion
- Women's participation in peacebuilding
- Conflict prevention and community safety
- Social cohesion and reconciliation
- Peace infrastructure and community peace mechanisms
- Women's priorities within the National Dialogue process
The dialogue took place on 18 August 2026 at Southern Sun Cape Sun, Cape Town.
Help Us Reach More Schools
Every contribution helps us bring The Stories That Ran Away to another classroom.
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