This project will help parents to enable their children to have a great start at school. Many parents do not have the skills or resources to help their children on their educational journey at home. But they have passion and a desire for their children to succeed. The workshops will provide parents with skills and resources so that they feel empowered and encouraged to help their children avoid the education poverty trap and secure a better future. 1000 children will benefit from this project.
There are currently more than 20,000 children in the Mfuleni township requiring early childhood education. 8 out of 10 South African children cannot read for meaning by the age of 10 - they face being inescapably caught in the "education poverty trap". While access to quality early childhood learning programmes can contribute to solving the crisis, support in the home is vital for children to succeed. While parents want to help, many lack the knowledge, skills and resources.
If you start behind, experience shows you stay behind. Children who succeed are commonly well-supported at home. These workshops and resources will empower parents to support their children at home. The resources provide access to educational equipment linked to a daily educational programme followed at school. The workshops teach parents how to use them effectively. This enables parents to have fun with their children whilst reinforcing learning.
Parental support is vital for children to have the strength and confidence to succeed in the face of challenges. School readiness provides children living in poverty with a Starting Chance to achieve numeracy and literacy developmental norms which are key to employability in adult life. Successful young adults strengthen communities in which they live and work as they uplift the quality of their own lives.
