Changing little lives
CLEVELAND – Cotlands learning group at Jumpers Informal Settlement help children to learn.
The Cotlands early learning playgroup based at Jumpers Informal Settlement is changing the lives of children in this community.
The aim of this daycare centre, which has been in existence since 2012, is to give children from the settlement a better education, as the majority of parents cannot afford to send their children to a crèche.
“The school is helping my child who is now able to speak English like his peers who go to other schools. We do not pay a cent for our children to attend. It really is a blessing,” said one of the parents, Ntombifuthi Kunene.
Kunene said her eldest daughter struggled during her first years at school because of the language barrier. “She was unable to go to an early learning centre because I did not work. She really struggled when she started schooling because the only language she grew up speaking was IsiZulu.”
“The daycare learning centre came at the right time. The only problem from a parent’s point of view is that the children only attend twice a week. I wish they could extend it so that our children can attend five days a week,” said another Jumpers Informal Settlement parent, Joyce Khumalo.
“I think that most children forget what they were taught as they only go on Monday and Tuesday. If we get better sponsors, the daycare can accommodate a larger number of pupils.”
The learning facilitator at Cotlands early learning group, Patience Tshabalala, said even though parents don’t pay for their children to be taught, some don’t make the effort to support their children through their education journey. “Some parents send their children to school without bathing them. Some parents don’t make the effort of taking their children’s education further by teaching them how to write their names or how to count,” Tshabalala pointed out.
“We give children basic education. We teach them mathematics, art, clay work, games and puzzles. I have been working here for four years. I started as a care worker at Cotlands because I was once a beneficiary of Cotlands. I used to attend a support group every Thursday and that is when Cotlands saw my potential and hired me,” said Tshabalala.
“I wish more parents could bring their children so that they can learn. We only have 56 pupils at the moment.”
Details: People who are willing to assist can contact Jumpers informal settlement community leader Nomphelo Zozo on 079 634 7723.
Read: Building a new daycare centre
