Support 500 vulnerable South African children

Early in 2023 a decision was made to establish a Rays of Hope Early Childhood Development (ECD) Centre. The decision was directly in line with our vison of working with the whole child, which sees us walking a long journey with a child from the age of 2 to 18 years of age. This is the hostic approach that interfaces with the entire ecosysytem of the child’ life, including their family. This inclusion allows us to address issues such as GBV (Gender Based Violence), sexual and other abuse, addictions, poor nutrition (amongst other things) with the caregivers, thereby creating a more stable and secure home environment for the child. By improving the child’s environment as a whole we believe our mission of empowered, resilient children and families living with dignity and hope, is attainable.  

We were able to renovate an existing building in line with the regulations of the Department of Education, Department of Social Development as well as the City of Johannesburg to offer a first class centre in Alexandra.

We now have 6 children in 4 classrooms, and are able to offer them the below interventions, which sets Akanani apart from other ECD centres in Alexandra:

1. All teaching is done in English, which ensures that the children have a good understanding of the language by the time they start formal schooling. The children receive nutritious meals every day as opposed to pap, which is sadly commonly found in most centres in Alex
2. The premises has a spacious play-area, which allows the children to exercise and play and develop gross motor skills.
3. Parents are engaged in the learning process, home visits are conducted and psychosocial support provided to ensure that the child and their family benefits from the programme.

Every Saturday, 350 young people from Grades 1– 11 arrive at St David’s Marist Alexandra campus for extra mathematics, English and coding classes. This programme is known as Rose-Act Saturday School, it was established in 1991. All classes are taught by professionals or any other individuals that may like to get involved in volunteering their time, including Rose Act alumni’s. In Alexandra, one of the social ills affecting the township is overcrowded classes and English is a barrier language, there are over 70 to 100 learners is one class. This program was established to bridge the educational gap for children of Alex and improve their English and Maths.

Links:

• http://www.raysofhope.co.za

Rays of Hope aims to support children and their families, caring for the "whole child" - physically, emotionally, spiritually, educationally and spiritually. With this in mind, our interventions are grouped into three focus areas - learning & development, psychosocial support and family care. Whether the child attends our early learning centre every day, Monday to Friday, or only comes to our programmes on the weekend, the goal is to intervene in multiple ways to move the child from vulnerability towards independence.

We held a graduation ceremony in December 2023 for the children. This was not only to give them an event filled with entertainment, but also to reward them for their hardwork during the year. Growing up in Alex township, these children are exposed to multiple hardships such as lack of food, no water or electricity. The centre is sometimes the only place where they can learn and get nourishment. The hardships these children overcome in order to survive is worth celebrating, and their hardwork was acknowledged.

With your support through GlobalGiving, Rays of Hope is able to provide our little children with a solid educational foundation, combined with fun activities, outings to broaden their worldview and healthy meals every day. As we gear up for the 2024 year, we look at getting the children ready. As such they will need uniforms and stationery packs for the academic year.  We would love you to continue your support in the future as times are tough, and your currency makes a big difference when converted into South African Rands.

Thank you so much for your continued support and for partnering with us.

Compliments of the new season.

All the best, Basie