Briardene non-profit celebrates four decades of growing children in education
In August, TREE will honour the women who contribute to the ECD space as it's Women's Month, but the idea is to also rope in the men.
TREE Early Childhood Development Centre, a non-profit organisation that provides training and resources in early education, turns 40 this year and has a list of celebrations planned up until the big day in September.
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The organisation was formed in 1984 when a woman saw children loitering around Durban and not receiving any stimulation. She took them under her wing and taught them how to read under a tree.
Now under the directorship of Ruby Motaung, TREE has come a long way since then with a head office in Briardene and two satellite offices in Ladysmith and Port Shepstone. There are also offices in the Eastern Cape, Limpopo and Mpumalanga.
“There are several celebrations coming up, starting in July with Mandela Day or Mandela Month. As Mandela felt very strongly about both children and education, the focus will be on uplifting our children who attend our ECD centres,” she said.
“We want to also call on men to come forward to join the ECD space as many children don’t have fathers. The male role is an important one in a child’s life, and we need men to come forward and be role models to these children,” Motaung said.
The grand celebration takes place on September 27, Heritage Month, when TREE’s heritage will be celebrated at a golf day and gala dinner at Mount Edgecombe Country Club.
“We are looking for corporations and individuals to enter and to sponsor cash and prizes for this event. We also want to acknowledge our long-serving staff at the event. The youth who want to study Early Childhood Development will also have a chance at winning a bursary through us by entering an essay competition. More details will be released in due course,” she added.
“Our main focus is training and development. We believe that education must start at a young age. We provide holistic training and support for practitioners in the Early Childhood Development (ECD) space. Our focus is on rural communities where our candidates come from. After the one-year course is complete, these individuals go back to their respective communities and teach the children living in those communities,” added Motaung.
She said the biggest challenge is the lack of government funding and proper salaries which she is hoping will change when the Department of Education presents its 2030 ECD strategy.
“Nonetheless, we have formed good partnerships, and these are very important to us. We may not get regular financial sponsorship, but partnerships take us to where we need to go,” she said.
If you would like to get in touch with TREE, email director@tree-ecd.co.za or call 083 406 3721.
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