News Page

SEEDS Partnership in Education

                

The Systemic Education and Extra-Mural Development and Support (SEEDS) consortium aims to develop and support education in the Western Cape from pre-primary to postgraduate education, with a focus on improving maths and science learning. SEEDS is funded by the Kingdom of the Netherlands Embassy, which has a longstanding relationship with ELRU. We are honoured to be the ECD contributor among nine organisations selected by the Embassy for this initiative. The consortium will work collaboratively with the Western Cape Department of Education.

The SEEDS consortium includes the University of Stellenbosch, the University of the Western Cape, the University of Cape Town, the Cape Peninsula University of Technology as well as NGOs: SciFest Africa, ELRU, the Science and Industrial Leadership Initiative (SAILI), and the GOLD Peer Extra-Mural Education Project.

ELRU will work with 60 schools in the Overberg and West Coast regions, Through innovative methods and resources we aim to inspire teachers, learners and parents to explore the wealth of learning opportunities in their environments. Many new books and activities will distributed, These, along with teaching videos, radio broadcasts, interactive exhibitions and educational excursions, will help to promote a culture of learning in these regions.

Helping teachers to gain a foothold in the qualifications system

Before we can think about providing a stimulating learning programme in ECD centres there are simple, but essential aspects that must be in place, yet many projects do not have these. The ABSA Foundation is funding a Basic ECD skills course, currently run at ELRU’s Lansdowne base and in Vrygrond – a Cape Town township. The course is part of a broader programme of assessment and bridging for teachers who may want to gain a foothold in the qualifications system.

New Friends

   

Crispin Sonn, Old Mutual’s Managing Director: Marketing & Corporate Affairs, hosted a cocktail party on 29 January 2009 at the Old Mutual Business School in Pinelands aimed at raising ELRU’s profile in the corporate sector.

Guest speaker Dr Anwah Nagia, the Chairperson of Frater Asset Management commended ELRU for its 30 years of work, saying that “ELRU has made an indelible mark on children, students, government and donors”. Ms Khanyisa Balfour, ELRU Board member and Engen CSI manager, echoed his appeal
for companies and philanthropists to support established NGOs like ELRU and to direct funds to salary and infrastructure costs as well as to projects. Coining the phrase ‘it takes a village to raise a child’, she spoke with conviction of the responsibility we all have for early childhood development - by caring for children in our homes, families, schools and communities.

Support for struggling teachers in the Northern Cape

The need for ECD skills in the Northern Cape prompted ELRU’s initial intervention in the early 1980’s. This led to the establishment of the independent ECD NGOs, Namaqualand Assosiasie van Voorskoolse Opvoeding (NAVO) in Namaqualand, and Thusano ECD Trust in Kuruman.

The Hantam District faces severe challenges of poverty and long distances between settlements, as well as alcoholism. Through our work here with teachers, principals and the Northern Cape Departments of Education and Social Development, we know that ELRU’s intervention is valued. The Department of Education in particular is pleased with the extra support for the area as it struggles to monitor schools with limited human resources and transport.

We recently appointed a local trainer, Elzette Louw, who lives in Calivinia. Elzette began work in January this year. She will provide training and support to ECD centres in Calvinia, Niewoudtville, Loeriesfontein, Brandvlei and Williston. Ursula Segers, Ros Herbert and Rafeekah Patel recently visited the area to assist Elzette to assess and evaluate the needs of the 15 ECD centres that will be in a programme of development over the next three years. They comment:

“In most centres, especially those attached to primary schools, the principals are willing and co-operative. Some community based centres were not that excited to have us as this will mean regular assessments and greater accountability. Having a staffer in the region will ensure that implementation of training is satisfactory and that a consistent, stimulating programme is in place”.

Our Northern Cape work has been supported by two US foundations who wish to remain anonymous.

Sobambisana: Challenged to make a difference

The DG Murray Trust and an anonymous donor are funding 5 large ECD organisations to work together in the four-year Sobambisana project to demonstrate ways of improving quality and access in ECD. Our partners are Centre for Early Childhood Development, Khululeka, Ntataise and TREE. Partners agree that what gives the project a fighting chance is the substantial allocation of both funding and time.

ELRU’s Wakh’umntwana Wakh’isizwe (Build a child, build a nation) programme is being implemented in this project. It demonstrates the importance of allocating sufficient time for negotiating entry and for setting up a community development project to enable integrated service delivery for the benefit of vulnerable children and families.

In the Vredendburg area on the West Coast data gathered with the assistance of community members (trained by ELRU) will be analysed and discussed with area stakeholders including the Department of Social Development and Education district officials, SA Social Security Agency, ward councillors, ward committees, primary schools and NGOs - including HIV/AIDS Initiative, Trax Youth Development Agency, Mfesane, Vital Connections, Love Life and ECD centres.

Our team is focusing on vulnerable young children in the George Kerridge and Louwville areas of Vredenburg. Team member Sharon Kelderman finds the desire of local people to improve their lot rewarding, even though the challenges are sometimes overwhelming. “People are marginalised but are interested in improving their lives and helping those around them. I am confident that even though most may not be able to access formal training, the skills training we will offer will instil motivation and pride”. Already there is much interest by community members in being trained as Family and Community Motivators (FCMs).

Wakh’umntwana Wakh’isizwe has been running for two years in the Eastern Cape town of Lusikisiki. Started with National Lotteries Distribution Trust Fund funding, the project, now part of Sobambisana, is currently reaching 110 vulnerable families. FCMs are giving support to vulnerable families by directing them to relevant government and NGO services. They spend time with parents, supporting them to provide stimulating activities for their children.

At the same time our team is working with government departments, including the local Departments of Social Development, Education, Health and Agriculture, the Municipality, and various NGOs. The response of some government officials has been hugely positive - we suggested that Grade R teachers would benefit from training, and the district manager of the Department of Education arranged for us to train all the Foundation Phase teachers of the five primary schools!

Beryl Hermanus reports: “We have started exploring possibilities with the Department of Agriculture to assist families with starting food gardens. The ability to produce their own food will benefit families that, in most cases, are solely dependent on grants and struggle to make ends meet”. The Department of Agriculture has welcomed ELRU’s involvement as it complements existing plans, shared with the Department of Health, to ensure that children receive sufficient vitamin A in their diets.