Sponsorship needed for Amangwe Village’s rural crèche children
Amangwe Village's numerous outreach programmes include an on-site crèche which is open to children between the ages of three and six
FULFILLING its mandate of providing a holistic approach to the prevention and treatment of HIV/Aids, Amangwe Village in KwaMbonambi has initiated numerous outreach programmes, all of which are proving essential within local communities.
Established in 2002 and registered as a NPO in 2012, Amangwe’s services, which include an orphaned and vulnerable children project, skills development projects, youth empowerment and HIV/Aids awareness, are carried out at grass roots level, targeting everyone infected and affected by HIV/Aids within the boundaries of the King Cetshwayo and uMkhanyakude districts.
Through Amangwe’s early childhood development programme, the many orphaned and vulnerable children within surrounding rural communities have access to education at the on-site crèche.
Amangwe’s crèche takes 40 children between the ages of three and six years, who are taught by rural crèche teachers trained by Amangwe.
Each child enjoys a balanced breakfast, snacks and lunch daily, which is often the only decent nutrition they have access to.
PHOTOS: Tamlyn Jolly
Learning through both structured and unstructured play, children at the crèche have access to appropriate educational toys and activities, including puzzles, art, stories and building blocks.
While Amangwe’s crèche is subsidised by the Department of Social Development, only those whose parents earn less than R1 800 per month qualify, and even then the subsidy equates to about half the creche’s R625 running cost per child.
‘Those parents who do not qualify for the crèche subsidy battle to pay our R300 fee per child, which means we cannot realistically increase the fees, even when our costs increase,’ said Amangwe Manager Erna Steynberg.
‘Amangwe does receive corporate support from South32, RBCT, Bell Equipment and Mondi, but we need more companies to sponsor our children.
‘Our crèche is vital in the community as it provides the children with the educational start they need before starting primary school.’
Sponsorship of an Amangwe crèche child will ensure the child gets a nutritious meal when at crèche, and quality, age-appropriate education before going off to school.
Any company or person interested in sponsoring a child, or any crèche maintenance, can contact Steynberg on manager@amangwe.org.za or 035 5804504.
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