”“All it takes is a spark, which becomes a flame which turns into the fire needed to bring about change.”
— ROS TOERIEN
”“All it takes is a spark, which becomes a flame which turns into the fire needed to bring about change.”
— ROS TOERIEN
Once upon a time in Durban, Kwa Zulu Natal, two friends connected with a dream – to uplift education in South Africa through the power of books and literacy. Aptly summed up in the quote ‘Start where you are, use what you have, do what you can’, The LEARN Project (Let’s Educate A Rainbow Nation) was founded by Ros Toerien and co-founder Lucy Pienaar in 2012.
Building bridges and breaking educational barriers one school library at a time is the result of a collaborative effort from our LEARN power house team, as well as volunteers, donors, schools, and companies, all committed to bringing about the change inspired by LEARN’s vision.
Our story is one that continues to unfold as each new chapter opens new doors of opportunity for learners and educators through whole school transformations, as libraries and classroom book corners are established, creating a culture of reading and a literacy-rich environment conducive to learning.
We are passionate about the work that we do and are encouraged by the positive changes we are seeing.
Who we are today
Meet the team
Ros has been a guest speaker at a number of events and was awarded The Paul Harris, Fellows Award ‘in appreciation of tangible and significant assistance given for the furtherance of better understanding and friendly relations among peoples of the world’ by the Rotary Foundation of Rotary International. She was an invited guest at the Pinetown District Department of Excellence Awards, having had the honour of handing out awards to top achievers for literacy excellence. She is the KZN Lead Provincial Support Partner on the President's Reading Champion Programme, mentoring and supporting reading champions, teachers mentors and district officials across KZN, to help create a culture of reading in government schools and improve literacy.
Lucy has played a key role in our partnership with Umngazi River Bungalows and the Transkei rural schools we assist.
”“I said ‘Somebody should do something about that.’ Then I realized I am somebody”.
— LILY TOMLIN
Our Key Contributors
Thembi Biyela
The Bhambayi
Sewing Group
Library curtains, Library bags and Book corner cushions
Merle Fynn
Hombisa
Library cushions
Shan Goudin
Essentials Building
Library renovations
Caiphus Mkane
Carpenter
Book corner shelves