Community of Langaville can rejoice about ECD centre
The centre will cater to 30 children in one class and will accommodate children from the age of three to six years.
The South African National Zakah Fund (SANZAF), in partnership with the Al-Yaseen Community Centre, has launched an early childhood development (ECD) centre for underprivileged children on April 10.
There are lots of underprivileged children in the area whose parents cannot afford to take them to pre-school or a day care centre.
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Javed Hoosen, the SANZAF coordinator, explains they decided to give back to the community as many children in the area come to the centre to play here as they feel safe.
“This is a safe space for them, since not every child can afford to go to school.
“Parents can now go look for work knowing their child is safe,” says Hoosen.
The centre will make it possible for the children to receive formal education and personal growth while having fun and interacting with other children.
Tshepiso Mokgabudi, the centre facilitator, says: “We have realised about 60 to 70 per cent of children in the different informal settlements do not attend pre-school or any early childhood development centre.
“Sometimes the people who are meant to care for them are incompetent and children are abducted, raped or even worse, killed.”
He said the main aim was to give them basic education before they could attend Grade One as many young learners struggle when they start with formal school.
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They face challenges as they were never taught basic skills, like some of their peers.
“Not knowing how to handle a pencil or being able to know the names of the different colours are some of the challenges,” says Mokgabudi.
Parents are invited and encouraged to enrol their children at the Al-Yaseen Community Centre at its open day after the Easter holidays.
This newly built centre is child proof with purposefully designed, beautiful and inspiring spaces with learning equipment and special toilet facilities suitable for the young ones.
