Delivering change: MavericKids Vol 5 lands in Paarl East

It’s first break. The corridors are alive with children who haven’t yet learnt to ration their joy. They spill into the courtyard, laughing, chasing, negotiating the rules of games on the fly.

Inside the classrooms, though, the reality sits quietly: too many pupils, too few resources and not nearly enough to go around.

On Monday, 16 March 2026, Daily Maverick joined Gift of the Givers at Magnolia Primary in Paarl East for the first MavericKids Activity Book drop-off of 2026.

A school that stretches what it has

Paarl is sweltering. The kind of heat that clings. Even the fans, working overtime, can’t quite cut through the dry air.

As the Gift of the Givers team unpacks 12 boxes stacked with peanut butter and MavericKids books, we wipe our brows and keep moving. The children, by contrast, seem largely unfazed. Many probably arrived hot and hungry, yet still in good spirits.

Magnolia Primary is a Quintile 3 no-fee school serving roughly 600 pupils. Parents aren’t required to pay school fees, but that designation brings its own challenges. Resources are limited. Gaps are constant. The school operates through a careful balancing act, stretching what it has, leaning on community support and finding ways to keep learning going when the basics aren’t guaranteed.

“We are incredibly grateful that Gift of the Givers identified our school for this opportunity, as our learners live in a deprived community facing dire socioeconomic circumstances where they often lack even basic stationery like pens and rulers,” says principal R Damonse.

The basics matter: a pen, a ruler, a book that isn’t shared between four desks at a time.

“This is the first year that they’ve received these books,” Damonse adds. “This donation will truly go a long way in supporting our children.”

Why reading material matters here, and everywhere like here

South Africa’s literacy crisis is stark and well documented. By Grade 4, more than 80% of children struggle to read for meaning. By Grade 6, most still haven’t caught up, and the consequences ripple outward, beyond the classroom, affecting social cohesion, opportunity and the future workforce.

Magnolia Primary’s pupils are no exception to the national picture. They’re part of it. And now, they’re forming part of an effort to change it.

It’s precisely this gap that led to the launch of MavericKids six years ago, a partnership between Daily Maverick and Gift of the Givers aimed at getting quality reading material into the hands of children who need it most.

The MavericKids Activity Book is a practical response to a stubborn problem. It’s not a textbook. It’s something more inviting: a 240-page annual compiled from the best of DM168’s award-winning children’s section: a resource packed with stories, puzzles, current affairs and questions that invite children to think a little wider about the world.

A book to open, write in, puzzle through and return to.

The model is simple: buy one, donate one. For every MavericKids Activity Book bought, another copy, along with a stationery pack, is distributed by Gift of the Givers to a child in need. Simple, but not small.

Delivering change: When the boxes open

At Magnolia Primary, the books didn’t sit untouched for long.

There’s a particular kind of electricity that runs through a classroom when something new arrives. Something unexpected. Something that belongs to you.

For Gift of the Givers disaster management coordinator Corbin McKrieling, these are the moments that anchor the work.

“We’re not just providing temporary relief,” he says. “We’re investing in the future of our communities. By supporting education, feeding schemes and disaster response, we’re empowering individuals and families to break cycles of poverty and build brighter futures.”

Back in the Paarl heat, the fans are still turning. The classrooms are still full.

But now, on a handful of desks, there are books – bright, busy, full of questions and possibilities. And one boy, somewhere in the middle of a puzzle, who hasn’t looked up since.

Be part of the story

Help us reach 10,000 sponsored books this year.

With our buy-one, donate-one model, Daily Maverick matches every purchase. For each MavericKids Activity Book you buy, another copy is donated through Gift of the Givers to a child who needs it.

No kids in your life? No problem. Just leave a “donate all” note at checkout and we’ll pass both copies on. Same price, double the impact.

For corporate or corporate social investment bulk orders, contact Ingrid Sinclair at ingrid@dailymaverick.co.za DM