Education South Africa Project #9502

Start a Preschool for 60 Children in South Africa

by Even Ground

Project Report | Dec 26, 2017
Thank You for Making It Possible

By Khethiwe Khuzwayo | Director, Siyabonga Early Childhood Ed Centre

Children Waiting to Graduate

I am just completing my first year as Director of Siyabonga Early Childhood Development Centre. I am proud to be a part of offering this critical service to my community. The young children in our area are exposed to multiple risks, including poverty, malnutrition, poor health, and un-stimulating home environments, all of which can negatively affect their cognitive, motor, and social-emotional development. Our program gives us the opportunity to positively influence our students’ development by providing nutritious meals, a stimulating learning environment, and positive relationships with our staff, setting them on a path to brighter future.

I am truly grateful to all of you whose generosity made it possible for us to provide these services to 71 children this past year. Thank you so much to everyone who gave to Siyabonga in 2017. And, a special thanks to those of you who have signed up to give monthly. I hope you will keep us in mind as you do your year-end giving and during the upcoming year. You are an essential part of the work we do. Without your help, we will not be to continue to help these children thrive in all aspects of their lives.

I am happy to report that 30 children qualified for promotion from our program and will now move on to Grade R (kindergarten) at our local primary school. We held a graduation ceremony on the 30th of November. The children were pleased to be recognized and parents were delighted by the performance of their children.

I would like to take this opportunity to highlight a few of our accomplishments in 2017.

During the first half of the year, we worked to bring our Centre into compliance with national standards for early childhood education facilities and received our national certification in June. This allowed us to apply for and receive funding from the Department of Social Development. We now receive some assistance with the cost of food, educational materials, water, and other operational costs. This is a big step forward in becoming a more stable and sustainable organization.
The teachers and I worked on developing educational objectives for our students, along with a detailed assessment and evaluation plan to ensure children are meeting their goals. We began evaluating every student monthly, which allows us to determine where each child needs more support.
We introduced the concept of experiential learning for the children, moving away from a more traditional teacher-led learning approach that is common in the area, with the goal of allowing children to discover their own individual potential and develop at their own pace.
We continued to provide two nutritious meals a day and, with our new garden, were able to provide a lot of our own produce. The parent of Njabulo, one of our students, told us that when she feed Njabulo at home, he refused to eat and told her that he does not eat food without vegetables. We are happy that we are not only providing healthy meals for our children but also teaching them about healthy eating.
We were able to have a few special outings and celebrations for the children, like our visit to Udondolo luncheon club that I wrote about in my last update and a celebration of Heritage Day in September, where the students got the opportunity to perform for their families and other community members.

I am looking forward to continuing to be part of this wonderful program that helps children from disadvantaged backgrounds to flourish. Thank you for the part you play in making this possible. Plese give what you can to ensure we can continue for the upcoming school year.

Happy holidays to you and your families and all the best for the New Year.

With deep gratitude,

Khethiwe

Aphiwe, Looking her best for this important day

Fun in the classroom

Dressed up for Heritage Day

Performing for guests on Heritage Day

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Sep 28, 2017
A Special Day for Young and Old

By Khethiwe Khuzwayo | Director, Siyabonga Early Childhood Ed Centre

Siyabonga Children at Udondolo Luncheon Club

At Siyabonga Early Childhood Development Centre, we aim to ensure that the vulnerable children we serve have access to early childhood development resources. Our children are from disadvantaged families, who in most cases struggle to put food on the table. Our services are continuous and target changes in the lives of the children. Two of our goals for the children are to broaden their thinking and to strength their skills related to interacting with others.

Recently, some of Siyabonga’s learners visited Udondolo luncheon club nearby the centre. We saw the excursion as an opportunity for the children to enhance their interpersonal skills through interaction with other adults in a new environment. Our community lack resources, as it is rural, so we are trying to make use of those that are available that might provide for the development of children.

The luncheon club that the children visited is funded by the South African Department of Social Development and consists of a group of pensioners who come together for socialization and games. During their visit, the children performed for the elderly people at the club. In return, the adults performed for the children, told stories, and taught them some games they played with them. This was a great experience for the children that taught them to see elders are a resource, who will love and care for them. It was also a wonderful chance for the luncheon club members to engage with young children. The relationship between the elderly and children was strengthened.

The adult interaction helped with the children’s social and emotional development. At the same time, the activity made the elderly feel needed, loved, resourceful, and important.

Thank you all again for your support and for giving us the resources to provide opportunities and learning experiences for the children in our community.

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Jul 10, 2017
Invest in the Future of Siyabonga's Children

By Khethiwe Khuzwayo | Director, Siyabonga Early Childhood Ed Centre

Children of Siyabonga

Donate to Siyabonga July 12 on the GlobalGiving website. If you give at 9:00am EDT or soon after, GlobalGiving will match your contribution up to 50%.

We have just completed our second term of the year and are on break for a few weeks. Thanks to all of you for making it possible for us to continue to provide quality care and education to the 70 children enrolled in our program. You are all part of the community supporting these children and allowing them to dream of a brighter future. Recently, we conducted a career activity with our four-year olds. We were pleased to hear so many express an interest in teaching, and we were proud that most every child wants to do something that would help others. Here is what we heard from the children pictured above (from left to right): Minenhle would like to be a nurse, Qiniso wants to be a teacher, Njabulo would like to be a doctor, Thandolwethu and Sandisiwe both want to be a teachers, Amahle wants to be a nurse, Melokuhle a teacher, and Sandile would like to be a doctor.

We are doing monthly assessments this year, which enables us to identify and address the developmental needs of our children. I also have been visiting the families of the children to ensure we are meeting their needs and to hear how the children are doing at home. The teachers and I were encouraged by the positive feedback we received.

The grandmother of one student, Xolelwa, said she is amazed how much her granddaughter’s English has improved this year.
Sibongokuhle’s parents are both unemployed. They have four children and struggle to put food on the table. They are very grateful that Sibongokuhle is able to get nutritious meals at Siyabonga. They are happy with the academic progress their child is making as well.
Mpendulo lives with her maternal grandmother. The family survives on the old-age pension and child-support grant they receive. Like many in our community, Mpendulo’s mother left the area to look for employment. The food we provide to Mpendulo at the Centre is of great help to the family. The grandmother told me she is very pleased that Mpendulo is doing so well at school.

Overall, parents and guardians are pleased with the progress their children are making and thankful their children are able to attend Siyabonga.

All of us at the Centre and the families in our community are grateful for your continued contributions, which are an investment in our children’s futures. We are hoping we can count on you again to help us raise the funds we need to complete this year.

On July 12th, your donations to Siyabonga Early Childhood Education Centre through GlobalGiving will have an even greater impact: If you make a donation during GlobalGiving’s annual bonus day, Siyabonga can receive matching funds of up to 50%. The event begins at 9:00am EDT on July 12 and will last until matching funds run out (this often happens quickly, so please give as soon after 9:00 as you can).

Thank you!

Sibongokuhle with her Mother

Mpendulo and his Grandmother

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