Topsy Foundation NPC

Since its inception 19 years ago, The Topsy Foundation’s purpose has been to make a difference in the lives of communities in rural areas of South Africa. The communities we service face many social ills, one of the biggest is poverty, and the most affected by this are the children of these communities. That is why it is our mission to provide these rural communities with support and tools needed to raise happy, healthy and capable children through our Holistic Early Childhood Development (ECD) Model.

It is our vision to see the children grow to be successful and confident adults. One of the ways we aim to better the lives of children is through our new Parental/Caregiver Capacitation Project. On 16 September 2019, a weeklong training session on this subject began for the Topsy Community Workers, Social Auxiliary Workers and Nurses. The training was facilitated by eLRU (Early Learning Resource Unit).

According to the South African Early Childhood Review, in Mpumalanga, 111 000 children between the ages of 3-5 do not attend any early learning group programme (2017). By expanding our programme to include non-centre based Early Childhood Development, we will be able to reach those children whose parents cannot afford to send them to a creche or an ECD centre. This will ensure that they too are provided with the opportunities to allow them to develop mentally and physically.

This programme has been adapted from the UNICEF Parenting Support Programme to enable trainers, ECD practitioners and ECD fieldworkers to capacitate parents/caregivers who take care of babies and young children from birth to five years old.

The main objectives of this new programme are to:

1. Build the capacity of primary caregivers to access the essential elements of an ECD package from conception including good nutrition, primary health care, opportunities to play and learn as well as social protection services for children from conception to 5 years of age;

2. Implement capacity building programmes for early years practitioners so that they can facilitate early learning opportunities for young children;

3. Develop and strengthen the capabilities of primary caregivers (mothers + fathers) to parent positively, stimulate their children and demand ECD services; and

4. Increase access to early learning opportunities for young children from birth to entry into formal schooling.

Since the training from eLRU concluded, our staff have participated in additional practical training sessions, to ensure our staff are confident to deliver the workshops to parents and caregivers in our communities. The programme will begin from October in Early Years settings, including parenting support workshops, home visits, playgroups and ECD centres.

With your financial support, we can ensure that all children in rural parts of Mpumalanga have access to quality ECD, nutritious food and loving and support and care. Thank you in advance to making a difference in the lives of less fortunate children.

Links:

• Please read more about our work here