Fun while learning is the theme of the Indwe Africa early childhood development (ECD) outreach project and judging from the first workshop at St Mary’s Anglican Church on Tuesday, 9 October, that theme could refer to the children or to their educators learning about the project.
“Our vision for Indwe Learning Centres, trading as Indwe Africa, has always been about increasing access to quality education to vulnerable groups,” said founder Iris Canham, who could not hide her excitement at the fruition of three years of hard work.
When discussing the impact of poor education on local communities and the urgency to create a project dedicated to early childhood learning, Amanzimtoti Rotary Club invested in the initial stages of the project in 2016, which was to train two childcare workers to become ECD educators and the candidates attended further education and training institutes to complete their training.
Further funding was obtained for research and to put the plan in action. “From 2016 to 2019 we have been researching, training and creating a model that we can share and replicate to impact hundreds of Toti children. We hired a Montessori directress to guide our newly qualified educators and I travelled to the USA twice to access community-based ECD programmes as well as inner city pre-schools in New York.”
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Iris saw the power of community-based ECD programmes and the impact that it has on communities who strive to live in harmony. “Communities who put young children at the centre thrive – it’s that simple and therefore the aim of our project. We want to encourage communities to put children at the centre by empowering, supporting, mentoring and guiding early childhood educators in marginalised communities.
“We have come full circle – we had three years to initiate, put a pilot project into action and implement. Our Montessori directress has left to head an international pre-school in Mauritius, we have operated in a well-established building, under trees as a mobile programme and now in a mobile classroom, courtesy of M Projects.
“No matter the circumstances, the learning was never compromised and this is what we will continue to teach as we create a platform for other organisations, educators and day mothers who are striving to improve learning in marginalised communities. We cannot compromise on education.”
Indwe Africa has partnered with Kingsburgh Welfare. The first workshop boasted 26 enthusiastic educators, day mothers and others who work with vulnerable children, mainly from Umgababa and Umnini, and members of the tribal council, who are keen to open 10 ECDs in the near future.
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The workshops will take place over a year in sessions where Indwe will share its curriculum, teachings, help establish play groups in areas where children can’t reach ECDs and show educators how to make educational tools out of recycled materials.
“Workshops will be held two months apart to give the educators time to implement what they have learnt and Welfare will monitor their growth. To date there hasn’t been monitoring and learning in the rural areas. Our first workshop will impact about 500 children.
“The investment in ECD is long-term, because it is directly related to curbing many of our social ills. We are raising funds for the sustainability of this programme on National Children’s Day, Saturday, 2 November, at Amanzimtoti Rugby Club from 9am. It is a fun day, with a walk, run, picnic and games. Come and show your support, as all proceeds go to increasing access to early childhood learning in and around Toti,” said Iris.
Indwe Africa thanks Amanzimtoti Primary School’s Environ Club, Debbie West, Kim Marais and the Women’s Auxiliary in Toti for assistance.
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