The South African Institute for Distance Education – Saide, is a non-profit non-governmental

organisation governed by a Trust. Since 1992, Saide has been committed to increasing equitable and

meaningful access to knowledge, skills and learning through the adoption of open learning principles

and distance education methods. Their vision is a society in which all people value, have access to,

and succeed in lifelong education and training of good quality that meets national and regional

priorities in the context of the global knowledge economy.

The basis for lifelong learning is sound early literacy, which on the African continent is a persisting

challenge. Saide’s African Storybook (ASb) initiative is intended as a way to address this challenge.

The project encourages the use of a digital library of openly licensed storybooks for African children

accessed on the website and on the Reader App. It also encourages people to use its tools for

creating their own picture storybooks as well as translating and adapting existing ones into local

languages. Teachers and librarians can also support children to write and publish their own picture

storybooks using the ASb Maker App and read them on the ASb website.