It’s a surprising statistic, but according to a global research study, (PIRLS 2011), Hong Kong has the LOWEST rate of family literacy in the world with only 12% of parents reading to their kids (vs. international average of 37%). Twopresents’ charity partner, Bring Me A Book, has three very clear objectives to help the city’s children to develop a lifelong love of reading. Through their programmes, the organisation aims to:
(i) Provide easy access and to make all the charity’s resources, including books, easy to access for low-income families.
(ii) Be the ‘go to’ resource for parents selecting the best books for their child (in English and Chinese)
(iii) Create communities of readers through talks, workshops, in-school author visits and collaborative opportunities
Bring Me A Book has a clear vision; for every child in Hong Kong to be read to. Compared to their peers across the globe, Hong Kong Primary Four children have very low levels of interest, motivation and confidence to read. Bring Me A Book hopes to bring back the pleasure in reading and create a love of learning.
Through the support of party hosts using Twopresents, each dollar contributed goes towards Bring Me A Book’s beneficiaries and helps ignite a love of reading in the local community. For every party host that selects to share their celebration with the charity, a new group of children and families are introduced to the organisation’s important work and can help raise future funds or even become volunteers.
For every $120 donated, Bring Me A Book is able to purchase a new, quality hard back book. By 2015, the organisation had enough funds from party hosts to donate a ‘Twopresents Bookcase Library’ at a local nursery in Cheung Chau which has been enjoyed tremendously by all the children and teachers at the school. Funds have also been used to provide ‘Train The Trainer’ and ‘First Teachers Trainings’ for teachers and parents within this Cheung Chau community.
Always welcoming volunteers, children from as young as eight can get involved in the work of Bring Me A Book. From wrapping books to send to libraries to reading to children, from admin support to fundraising and marketing input, there are many ways to offer time and skills to continue the important work of the organisation. To express an interest, fill out the volunteer form here.
Join as a Family Member of Bring Me a Book Hong Kong to become part of larger community of like-minded individuals who value the importance of igniting a love of reading in children.
Members can gain exclusive privileges such as book borrowing from their curated children’s library, access to members-only author and speaker events, a birthday book tailored to your child’s interest delivered directly to your home. With an annual fee of HK$980, you are also contributing in a more sustainable way to support their work to improve family literacy in Hong Kong.
In collaboration with popular HK-based children’s brand, Snug-a-licious, Bring Me a Book also recently launched their Baby Gift Pack which includes snuggly onesies and a hug book. Order online with 100% proceeds to BMABHK.
Bring Me a Book are seeking corporate sponsors for various meaningful projects including a “Bring Me a Book” music concert in November this year and Reading Carnivals across Hong Kong in 2017-2019. Those interested in exclusive title sponsorship opportunities, please contact Executive Director, Pia Wong at [email protected] or call +852 21274533.
Twopresents Blog 