The Kwakhanya Early Childhood Learning Centre in Khayelitsha has for many years been the hub for the Early Childhood Development (ECD) sector in the area.
Launched in 2012 by the Ikamva Labantu NPO, it has served the community well. Now reaching its milestone 10-year anniversary, this pioneering institution can be credited for an impactful decade which has made a significant difference to principals, practitioners and families at 400 ECD Centres in Khayelitsha .
But while many substantial gains have been made, registration constraints hamper the free-flowing development of the sector. This is because for an ECD centre to start the registration process, it must begin with applications at the Land Use Management Department. This has to be accompanied by building plans drawn up by an architect - an expensive service which most principals in the township cannot afford.
As the fees paid at ECD centres are very low, funding is desperately needed for this first step towards registration to take place.
ECD Programme Manager, Mildred Bopoto explained that the problem lies with building regulation requirements.
“First an ECD centre has to be zoned at the Land Use Management Department. If it operates prior to having been zoned or approved at that specific location as an ECD centre it is fined for operating illegally. Until that is sorted out it cannot be zoned. Once zoning is in place, the ECD centre has to submit its building plans for approval – this can take anywhere between three months to over a year.
“But this normally does not deter new centres from opening, because most principals start with the process when they are already operating. This lengthy process means that the children might be attending a centre that may not be safe structurally, and they do not receive the early learning subsidy because the ECD Centre will be unregistered,” Bopoto said.
To assist these ECD Centres to meet the required standards and access the government’s early learning subsidies, Ikamva Labantu’s Registration Help Desk team continues to organise imbizos, consultative meetings and jamborees to disseminate information on registration.
“Community based workers for this programme visit the sites to guide and support them in putting in place systems to meet government norms and standards. The early learning subsidy is a funding to ECD for children whose household income is below R3 500 for single income, and R7 600 for combined income. It is R17 per child per day for 264 days per year.
“Of that, 40% goes towards nutrition, 40% towards salaries and 20% towards administration costs,” Bopoto said.
ECD centres are places that build the foundation for children’s future learning, and the Kwakhanya Centre plays an invaluable role in facilitating this.
“It is a site for 10 months skills training - theoretically and practically for ECD principals and practitioners. Cooks are also upskilled, as good nutrition is essential for early childhood development,” said Bopoto.
The centre also houses the registration Help Desk, which offers walk in principals with advice and assistance for registration. Capacity building workshops for ECD principals and parents are also facilitated quarterly.
Sixty practitioners and 30 principals are trained per year.
Ikamva Labantu offers specialized Practitioners Learning Programme Training, which is important because it gives practitioners age-appropriate skills to stimulate children in their respective ECD centres so that they are school ready.
“It takes a three-pronged approach - twice a month theory in the training room; once a month experiential learning (hands on practical) in our model pre-school (Kwakhanya Educare) whereby they are mentored and supported by Ikamva Labantu’s Kwakhanya Educare Practitioners; and twice a month on-site support, whereby Ikamva Labantu ECD Community Based Workers mentor and support them at their respective ECD sites,” she said.
Bopoto added that the Principals Capacity Building Training Programme empowers principals to meet government norms and standards. It teaches them how to run their ECD Centres as nurturing places for children, as well as places of employment and as businesses.
This, she said, covered quality programming, ECD management system, legal framework, policy making, staff management, financial management and record keeping.
The NPO also partners with other training services for child safety, paediatric first aid, health training, psychosocial training/intervention and other needs identified as gaps.
All these programmes have been designed to create systemic changes to raise the standard of education being accessed by pre-school children in Cape Town’s townships, and to improve the financial sustainability of community preschools. It is hoped that these vital endeavours continue to flourish and overcome all obstacles hindering their success.
For more information, call Kwakhanya Centre at +27 (0) 21 361 0909, e-mail info@ikamva.co.za or see https://ikamva.org.za