Sandton Library hosted a group of mothers, fathers and children who were invited to unpack the essence of home-grown stories relatable to children.
Cadbury Dairy Milk initiated the Homegrown Stories campaign to grow, co-author, distribute and inspire relatable children's stories in all 11 official South African languages.
This was also to intensify the importance of literature and the ability to read in one's mother tongue.
It is believed that stories with representation have the ability to encourage a child to read more.
With South Africa having been identified as undergoing a literacy crisis, this campaign is to help bridge the gap pervasive in that regard.
Professional storyteller and author Baeletsi Tsatsi agrees.
"By telling relatable stories to our children, we give them a sense of their place in the world and let them know that they matter, and their experiences matter.
"If we want children to fall in love with reading and themselves, then it is paramount that they see themselves in the stories they read, and this is a beautiful way to do that."
Last year, Cadbury Dairy Milk asked the public to translate words into their mother tongue.
A team of young local authors then constructed these words into exciting new stories.
Up to now 500 stories have been translated and made available for download from the Cadbury Digital Library, with an additional 45 000 books having been printed and distributed directly to the children who needed them the most.
Director at Qualibooks Chris de Beer added: "There is clearly a demand for literature in African languages that needs to be provided for. The number of stories being read after school via our KiBooks online platform clearly shows that we are helping children develop a love for reading in their spare time."
Alongside community radio stations, which provide ideal storytelling platforms, Cadbury has also partnered with Qualibooks, a leading provider of curriculum-based libraries and other educational resources to schools and communities.
