Education South Africa Project #21813

Education Programmes for Kids &Teachers, Cape Town

by Children's Helpers Worldwide

Project Report | Nov 12, 2025
Thank you for supporting education in Cape Town!

By Catherine Franks | Founder of Children's Helpers Worldwide

Teachers at one of ORT SA CAPE's presentations

A big thank you for supporting ORT SA CAPE's educational programmes in Cape Town through CHW's page on GlobalGiving! Your kindness and generosity help both children and teachers and enables the children to receive a better quality of education in the classroom.

The most recent donations we have received through our page will go to support ORT SA CAPE's Purposeful Play Workshops, which will be held on 14 and 21 November 2025. Eighty educators are expected to attend.

Your help also went towards supporting a Principals' Networking Event on 29 October 2025. Principals of thirty-four Early Childhood Development (ECD) centres attended the session. Each educator and principal reach a lot of children and continue to do so throughout their career, so your support truly enables such a large number of children to have access to a good education.

Bev from ORT SA CAPE has shared more details about their work, which you can find below, along with some photos:

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The power of play - building strong foundations

When children play, they're not just passing time—they're learning in the most natural, meaningful way. For children aged 0 to 9, play is a powerful driver of development, shaping how they think, feel, relate, and grow.

Research confirms what we see daily: children thrive when given space to explore, create, and connect through play. These early experiences lay the foundation for everything that follows—from school success to long-term well-being. At ORT SA CAPE, learning through play is at the heart of how we build strong foundations. Our programmes support educators to bring play into the heart of their teaching—not as an add-on, but as a central tool for reaching every learner. Play crosses barriers and doesn't rely on expensive materials or high-tech environments, making it one of the most inclusive ways to reach every child, regardless of background.

Professionalising early education

ORT SA CAPE transforms South Africa's early childhood development sector through comprehensive training and entrepreneurship support. With 71% of children under six living in poverty and nearly half of Early Childhood Development (ECD) practitioners lacking necessary qualifications, we address this challenge head-on. Through QCTO and SETA accredited Level 4 ECD qualifications and specialised short courses, we've equipped hundreds of practitioners with essential teaching skills, transforming classrooms across the Western Cape. Our approach extends beyond teacher training to include food relief, classroom resources, teaching assistant programmes, and leadership development through our Principals' Network Forums. We offer specialised business skills development bootcamps for ECD owners and principals, creating sustainable improvement across the entire ECD ecosystem while building entrepreneurial capacity.

News from across the organisation:

ORT SA CAPE was well represented at 3 different education conferences held in September and October.

LITASA (Literacy Association of South Africa) 2025: Coding as a Language

We presented Coding as a Language: Unlocking Literacy through Dory the Dragon at the 20th annual LITASA Conference, “Amazwi Ethu – Our Voices.”. Dory stole the show as we demonstrated how coding boosts creativity and literacy in young learners.

EMASA (Education Management Association of South Africa) 2025: Empowering Teachers, Unplugged

At the EMASA Conference, we presented our paper on Teacher Empowerment beyond Devices, highlighting the DORY Code – our unplugged coding solution. More than coding, it’s about mindset: risk-taking, collaboration, and growth that transforms classrooms across subjects.

CECD (Centre for Early Childhood Development Conference)

Our interactive exhibit attracted delegates and our breakaway session explored how the early years provide a vital window for shaping the thinking, social-emotional strength, and adaptability that children carry into every phase of learning and life.

The ORT SA CAPE torch shone bright at the Edu Women in Leadership Awards 2025, that took place at the end of August. Our CEO, Bev Da Costa was honoured as Woman Leader of the Year in Education. Lisa Wingham, Education Programme Manager, received the awards for Innovative Teaching Practices and EdTech Innovator.

2025 IMPACT

Transforming lives through education

• 494 unemployed youth placed in our work experience programme

• 160 partner schools and workplace hosts

• 195 practitioners enrolled in ECD qualifications

• 2,349 teachers attended short courses, collectively impacting over 90,000 learners [pupils]

• 383 entrepreneurs supported through the JET ecosystem

Education has the power to transform lives and uplift communities. Through ORT SA CAPE, we have spent more than 30 years helping people gain the skills, confidence, and hope to build brighter futures, because when people are empowered, communities are transformed.

Thank you to CHW for the continued support of our programmes, ensuring that more teachers have access to quality training and more learners have access to quality education.

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Please could you share this project on Giving Tuesday?

Giving Tuesday, a global day of doing good, is taking place on 2 December 2025. GlobalGiving will be partially matching all donations on 2 December, from 5 am onwards (UK time). The gift of a good education is one of the most important things that you can give a child. Any help with sharing our project page during the campaign would be so greatly appreciated and would make such a difference for the children in Cape Town.

Thank you so much for your support for the children and their education!

At one of ORT SA CAPE's workshops

ORT SA CAPE's conference exhibit

Bev and Lisa at the EMASA Conference

Teachers at a Purposeful Play Workshop

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Jul 14, 2025
Thank you for improving education in the classroom!

By Catherine Franks | Founder of Children's Helpers Worldwide

In the classroom

A massive thank you for supporting children's education in South Africa! Your donations have been making such a difference at ORT SA CAPE's programmes, enabling children to receive a better quality of education in the classroom!

Below is an update from Bev at ORT SA CAPE. You can read about recent workshops you have helped to sponsor, including one on classroom management, helping teachers to create truly nurturing environments, where the children can grow and reach their potential in so many areas. Thank you for being part of this!

Bev's report:
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Founded in 1994, ORT SA CAPE stands as a beacon of educational transformation in the Western Cape, South Africa. As a leading education NGO, our mission is to create hope through education by equipping and empowering individuals — particularly those in under-resourced and rural communities — with the skills, tools, and support they need to thrive.

For three decades, we have designed responsive training programmes that address South Africa’s evolving educational challenges. From foundational learning to digital literacy and leadership, our work supports the full educational ecosystem — grounded in equity, innovation, and impact.

Since our last report, the donations received from CHW were allocated towards our Classroom Management Workshops as well as our Purposeful Play Initiatives.

Creating Environments Where Learning Can Thrive

At its heart, teaching goes far beyond delivering content or developing skills. It’s about creating a nurturing, responsive environment where learners [pupils] can grow academically, socially, emotionally, and morally. This concept—what we call a natural habitat for learning—is central to our approach. Effective classroom management isn’t about control, but about establishing the kind of order that enables meaningful learning to take place.

Our recent full-day workshop, held on 12 June, focused on equipping educators with strategies to build such environments. Participants explored how to adapt classroom management theories to their specific contexts and had the opportunity to experiment with different approaches, all with our team’s guidance and support. We were pleased to welcome 32 teachers to this session and were encouraged by the overwhelmingly positive feedback we received.

Learning Through Play: Purposeful and Practical

On 13 June, we hosted another impactful training session: our Purposeful Play Workshop, attended by 41 enthusiastic educators. This workshop introduces the concept of using play intentionally as a powerful learning tool. Teachers engaged in hands-on activities using flexible, interactive resources that support skill development across key areas—particularly perceptual development, early literacy, and numeracy.

By grounding theory in practical experience, both workshops helped build the confidence and capacity of teachers to create enriching, engaging, and inclusive learning spaces for young children. These sessions reflect our ongoing commitment to supporting educators as they shape the next generation.

Championing Inclusion in Early Childhood Education

As part of our commitment to fostering inclusive learning environments, we have proudly integrated a dedicated session on inclusivity into our Early Childhood Development (ECD) qualification. While not required for accreditation, we believe this topic is too important to overlook and have chosen to include it as a core value of our programme.

Classrooms are a reflection of the world—rich with diverse backgrounds, identities, and abilities. Diversity speaks to who is present; inclusion is about how each person is supported and valued. Together, they form the foundation of a respectful, safe environment where every child can thrive.

Inclusion is not optional—it is essential. A truly inclusive classroom is grounded in clear communication, cultural sensitivity, active listening, and emotional awareness. It offers flexibility, security, and a strong sense of belonging. Our goal is to ensure that no learner is left behind and that every voice is heard.

Thanks to the deep expertise of our ECD team, we are equipping future educators to create classrooms that reflect the diverse realities of our society. Through intentional strategies that promote participation, set clear goals, and offer continuous support, we are shaping not just inclusive classrooms—but a more inclusive future for all.

In June, we proudly celebrated 70 young people who completed ORT SA CAPE’s one-year Work Experience Programme - a journey of learning, mentorship, and growth. Their achievements reflect true dedication and hard work.

Our Mandela Day Initiative is in full swing. The theme for this Madela Day is ‘’It is still in our hands’’. This year we are collecting educational resources for 10 Early Childhood Development Centres who are in need of equipment. The resources will be delivered to the centres on Friday 18^th July.

We are deeply grateful to CHW for their continued support of our teacher training programmes. With your partnership, we are able to equip educators not only with essential skills, but also with the confidence and inspiration to innovate, adapt, and grow in their practice.

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We are so glad that you have been able to support the children's education through our page on GlobalGiving.

There is sometimes a bit of time between submitting our updates to GlobalGiving and their publication, but if you are reading this on or before 16 July, we just wanted to let you know that GlobalGiving will be running a special campaign for 24 hours!

From 3pm (UK time) on 16 July until 3pm (UK time) on 17 July, GlobalGiving will be partially matching all donations over £75.

£75 would sponsor places for more than three teachers to attend a workshop where they will learn about purposeful play and educational techniques using Lego, or about coding.

If you would like to make a donation, or help spread the word by sharing our project page during the campaign, we would be so thankful!

Although only donations that are over £75 will be matched, contributions of any size would be so gratefully received. Your help will make such a difference for the children's education in the classroom.

Thank you again for all your amazing support! We truly appreciate your kindness and all that you have done for the children and teachers at ORT SA CAPE's projects!

Group discussion at Classroom Management Workshop

Purposeful Play Workshop

ORT SA CAPE Students

ORT SA CAPE's youth celebration

Packing educational resources for Mandela Day

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Mar 20, 2025
Thank you for supporting education in South Africa

By Catherine Franks | Founder of Children's Helpers Worldwide

Thank you for making a difference for children in South Africa by supporting this project!

One of CHW's partner organisations in Cape Town, ORT SA CAPE, runs educational programmes for teachers and children. Your very kind contributions have been supporting this.

Below is an update from Bev at ORT SA CAPE:

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Welcome to the first report of 2025. As we embark on a new year, we reflect on the progress made in 2024 and outline our goals and strategies for the coming months.

In 2024, ORT SA CAPE proudly celebrated a significant milestone - 30 years of transformative impact in education. For the past 3 decades, ORT SA CAPE has been operating at the forefront of education in the Western Cape, South Africa. We focus on educating, training, supporting, and empowering teachers in under- resourced communities.

Our reach during 2024 was remarkable:

518 youth placed on our year-long work experience programme.
183 students enrolled in our ECD Level 4 Qualification.
2,348 teachers participated in our various workshops, collectively impacting over 90,000 learners [school pupils].

Below is an overview of some of our key initiatives and accomplishments.

ORT SA CAPE obtains QCTO accreditation

ORT SA CAPE has officially received accreditation from the Quality Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO) to offer the Occupational Certificate: Early Childhood Development Practitioner (NQF Level 4).
The QCTO, established under the Skills Development Act, ensures that occupational qualifications meet industry standards by developing and registering qualifications, accrediting training providers, and overseeing learner assessments. This helps bridge the gap between education and employment, ensuring that skills training aligns with workforce needs.

Our newly accredited ECD qualification includes three key components--Knowledge, Practical Training, and Workplace Experience --which learners must complete before sitting for the External Integrated Summative Assessment (EISA).

We are thrilled to launch our first cohort in April 2025 and look forward to shaping the next generation of early childhood development professionals! This is a significant milestone for ORT SA CAPE, and we are embarking on accrediting more courses through the QCTO.

Early Childhood Development (ECD) garnishing the attention it deserves

We were fortunate to attend an ECD symposium in January, which brought together the corporate sector to prioritise investment in early childhood development (ECD). The Minister of Education delivered the keynote address at the event, emphasising the importance of ECD in shaping the future of our country.

As ORT SA CAPE has been actively working in the early childhood sector for nearly 30 years, we are encouraged by the growing commitment to strengthening ECD - both from the minister and from the president during the State of the Nation Address (SONA).

ECD is a national priority, with Government aiming to achieve universal access by 2030. Research shows that investing in ECD yields a high return (7-10%), not only benefiting individuals but also driving significant social and economic progress.

We remain hopeful that all critical areas affecting the ECD sector will be effectively addressed, ensuring the best possible outcomes for our children and our nation.

Unlocking Digital Futures: The Dory Code's Educational Revolution

We were excited to launch our very own ''Unplugged Coding'' solution, The Dory Code. We have developed teacher and classroom kits as well as training on this important topic for educators. The Dory Code turns teaching into an adventure. With Dory the Dragon, coding is accessible and fun, helping educators bring it to life. The Dory Code provides engaging training and resources to support and inspire teachers. With coding continuing to be a national priority in education, The Dory Code will remain one of our core projects, as we work to reach and empower more educators across South Africa.

Since our last report in Nov 2024, we continue to offer our various short courses for ECD practitioners and Foundation Phase teachers. We started the year by offering two Unplugged Coding workshops to 82 teachers, these took place on 25 Jan and 22 Feb. We also provided training to 90 educators on Purposeful Play, each receiving resources for their classrooms.

The latest donations from CHW went towards the Unplugged Coding workshops.

This includes a full day workshop, lunch and snacks and a resource pack for each teacher.

The resource packs include:

1x ORT bag
1 x Little Dory
2 x A4 Little Lego Six Bricks pages
1 x Numbers or Alphabet mat
1 x Blank Grid mat
1 x Dory the Dragon Key for Coding
1 x Dory's Cheat Sheet (glossary)

Feedback from one of our Education Department Subject Advisors, on ORT SA CAPE's training:

''I appreciated the fact that the trainers were always at the workshop well ahead of time, the set up would be smooth and the workshops would start on time. The facilitators were well prepared, could answer any questions from educators, and showed the utmost respect to all our teachers. I would always be present in the sessions and was particularly impressed by the curriculum knowledge and the way all workshops would link to the national curriculum.

As part of a school visit, I would monitor the implementation of the programme. It is wonderful when an educator showed me photos of the evidence of implementation. The educators also feel more confident and often extend on what he/she has learnt on the training. As the learner engages with a particular concept the educator can assess the learner which helps with either giving the learner another opportunity at practicing the same skill perhaps in a different way or enriches a learner by building onto the initial activity. Assessment through play is vital and because the educator has gone through an ORT course the educator feels more empowered to be able to assess the learner in a meaningful way.

Thank you, ORT SA CAPE, for always partnering with Metro South and for enriching the lives of so many in our district" - Lesley, Subject Advisor ECD.

Thank you once again to CHW for the continued support of our teacher training programmes.
Our training equips teachers not only with the skills they need to succeed but also with the confidence and enthusiasm to experiment and innovate.

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Your help is making such a big impact for the children and teachers! Thank you so very much!

From Tuesday 25 March until Friday 28 March, GlobalGiving will be running its Little By Little campaign. Donations of up to £38.50 will be matched by 50% during that time, or until matching funds run out. Around £20 could sponsor a place for a teacher at an Unplugged Coding workshop, but with the matching funds, if you give £15, GlobalGiving will give a further £5, and a teacher's place could be sponsored!

We would love to ask you to get involved by sharing our project page during the campaign, starting on 25 March. Letting others know about this project will also be such a wonderful support for the children.

Thank you for all the help you have given the children and teachers so far. The gift of a good education is life-changing!

School child creates a cake from a book he read

Unplugged Coding Workshop

Resource pack

Lego Playbox Workshop

Subject Advisor ECD

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