Topsy Foundation NPC

Now, it’s time for YOU to make a difference.

Our children are South Africa's most valuable resource, but they are also most vulnerable to socio-economic, political, and environmental inequalities we face today.

Early Childhood Development (ECD) centres must play a larger role in the lives of our children, especially those from disadvantaged rural communities. These children need support and resources to be happy and healthy children and become adults that will break the cycle of poverty and achieve higher living standards.

The Topsy Foundation NPC (Topsy) is a registered internationally-respected South African Non-Profit Company and Public Benefit Organisation that is on a mission to work with ECD centres through initiatives that support children to unlock their full potential.

Topsy was founded in 2000 and provides relief services to some of South Africa’s most under-resourced rural communities in Mpumalanga.  For the past 18 years, Topsy has made a massive difference in communities from providing food security to healthcare for HIV positive community members. For the last few years Topsy has been focusing on supporting and contributing to Early Childhood Development (ECD) centres, based within the community of Dipaleseng.

Topsy, in partnership with 20 ECD centres aim to provide these disadvantaged rural communities with the support and tools needed to raise happy, healthy and capable children.

The early years of a child’s life is when the brain develops most rapidly. During this age, the foundation is laid for health and wellbeing throughout life.

According to the World Health Organisation, providing care in a stable environment, that is sensitive to children’s health and nutritional needs, with protection from threats, opportunities for early learning, and interactions that are responsive, emotionally supporting and developmental stimulating – is at the heart of children’s potential to develop.

The foundation partners with three rural communities based in the sub-district of Dipaleseng namely; Nthoroane, Grootvlei and Siyathemba and has built solid relationships with these communities.

Topsy’s approach to the ECD is holistic and consists of key crucial components to ensure community upliftment:

Stimulation and Early Learnings

Topsy’s Early Childhood Development programme provides educational resources through their Play and Learn Centre and supports practitioners with accredited ECD training.

Nutritional Support (vegetable gardens and ad hoc food donations)

Malnutrition is a serious issue in South Africa. Malnutrition can hinder a child's ability to grow normally. Stunting is a long-term effect of malnutrition. When a child lacks nutrients, normal growth and development the child’s height and weight is well under normal when compared with children of the same age. Growing vegetable gardens not only provide food security but can also serve as a source of income for the communities.

Health (Health screening, primary care medication, X-rays, growth monitoring, hearing and vision testing and referral for specialized care)

Topsy’s trained professional nurse and community care workers assist with monitoring health of children daily at Topsy Play and Learn Center and home-based care services referrals for specialized care. 

Psycho-Social (Counselling and referrals)

Psycho-Social support entails placing and maintaining children in stable and supportive family environments. This nurturing is invaluable for vulnerable children, who are faced with socio-economic challenges, because negative influences can lead to anxiety, depression that could hinder social development. Topsy also refers children to professionals that can assist them with their struggles.

Social support (Helping parents to access “Birth Certificates” and “Child Support Grants” which is a key for children’s education and wellbeing)

Illiteracy and lack of information is a concern in South Africa. This often leads to children not being legally registered. Furthermore, orphans need an adult to get the paperwork, in an already overworked and backlogged Home Affairs Department. An ID is not a luxury, it is a necessity to give a child an identity, access to school, medical treatment and other government services.

‘Child Support Grants” enable parents to better care for the child either by being able to afford more nutritious food, pay for attendance at ECD centres or pay a fee at the clinic.

Topsy relies on donations to fund the foundation and is grateful to the many partners who have shown them support over the years. However, large corporate, government and all stakeholders are invited to contribute to Topsy’s initiatives that have effected positive change in rural communities.

For more information on how to make a real, long-lasting difference in the lives of South Africa’s vulnerable children, visit http://www.topsy.org.za

References

https://www.unicef.org/southafrica/protection_6633.html

http://www.statssa.gov.za/?p=10950

Links:

• More info on our website

Dr. Ewa Skowronska has been appointed as the executive director at The Topsy Foundation NPC. The Foundation’s mission is to provide disadvantaged rural communities with the support and tools needed to raise happy, healthy and capable children. The Topsy Foundation aims to provide the opportunity for these children to thrive, regardless of where they come from.

With the aim of breaking the cycle of poverty and empower rural communities, the Topsy Foundation leverages community assets for sustainable change.  This is done through a holistic set of services which includes education (early childhood development and inclusive education); food security (vegetable gardens); health (health screening, primary care medication, x-rays, hearing and vision testing); and psycho-social support. (counselling and referrals).

Dr. Skowronska trained as a Medical Doctor and Master of Public Health specialist (MD/MPH) at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and will be responsible for strategic and operational direction at The Topsy Foundation and overall technical support for Early Childhood Development (ECD) Programme that is being implemented in three districts in Mpumalanga.

Before joining The Topsy Foundation, Dr. Skowronska worked at mothers2mothers as Senior Technical Advisor providing strategic direction, technical leadership and operational oversight to seven Country Offices in sub-Saharan Africa: Kenya, Malawi, Lesotho, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda and South Africa. Her  areas of responsibility included Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn and Child Health and Adolescent Girls and Young Women (AGYW) related to HIV. At mothers2mothers she worked in tandem with a wide continuum of external partners and stakeholders, such as donors, national governments, private-public partnerships and civil society.

Prior to that, Dr Skowronska worked with the Clinton Foundation HIV/AIDS Initiative in Malawi as a Paediatric HIV/AIDS Manager. In this capacity she developed, and implemented programs supporting national efforts in scaling-up PMTCT and Paediatric HIV/AIDS care and treatment, at a national and district level.

 During her career with Pharmacia/Pfizer as a medical director her diverse portfolio enabled her to gain extensive knowledge about clinical research and development, as well as managerial experience in fast-paced multinational and multidisciplinary environments. 

“We are delighted to have Dr Skowronska join our team,” says Sarah du Toit, Development Manager at The Topsy Foundation, “her extensive skillset, expertise and experience in the development sector are a great asset to our organisation. We have some very exciting new ventures in the pipeline for 2018 that she will spearhead, which will springboard our initiatives and efficacy into new realms.”

About The Topsy Foundation NPC

The Topsy Foundation NPC, which was established in 2000, is a fully-registered and internationally-respected South African Non-Profit Organisation which provides relief services to some of South Africa’s most under-resourced communities.

The Topsy Foundation partners with three communities in the sub-district of Dipaleseng, Mpumalanga.  Activities take place from a central project site called the Topsy Health and Stimulation Centre which is established as a focal point for the surrounding communities.  This area, often referred to as a forgotten part of the country, due to its scant infrastructure and lack of large-scale industry, is home to several large rural communities situated around the towns of Balfour, Grootvlei and Greylingstad.

http://www.topsy.org.za/

Sarah du Toit | Development Manager | The Topsy Foundation NPC          

Ogilvy & Mather, 15 Sloane Street, Bryanston, Johannesburg

E-mail: sarah.dutoit@ogilvy.co.za

Tel: +27 11 709 6678 

Links:

• Read more about our work here