Siphandla Nkosi Educare Centre was established in 2009 and registered as an NPO in 2011. Principal, Peter Makute, describes how challenging it has been to find the funds to pay staff and buy food and resources to keep the educare running. However, Peter explains that it is all worth it when you see the children develop holistically and know that they are being properly cared for.
The preschool was eager to participate in Ikamva Labantu’s ECDs Practitioners Training. “Through the training, we’ve gained knowledge on how to mentally stimulate our children. We also received educational materials and were assisted with food parcels which helped us a lot,” says Peter.
The Ikamva Labantu team assisted many educares to register with the Department of Social Development opening the opportunity for these centres to receive early learning subsidies in the future. “It is with the support of Ikamva Labantu and its wonderful staff that I am where I am now. It is very challenging being a man in an industry mostly dominated by women. The registration means a lot to me,” he added.