Sikhula Sonke Early Childhood Development

What a wonderful donation of toys from Mercy Aid and Resilient Kids! 😍

We're busy with parenting programmes this week - so good to spend time with these amazing parents keen to learn.

This week’s nugget of wisdom!💡📚

To learn more about sequencing and Wordworks' early literacy programmes, please visit our website on: www.wordworks.org.za

𝗘𝘅𝗲𝗺𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗔𝗱𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗣𝗲𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘁𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗘𝗖𝗗 𝗖𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗩𝘂𝗹𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗔𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗮𝗽𝗲 𝗧𝗼𝘄𝗻

In May 2023, the ECD community submitted over 260 comments on the draft administrative penalty exemption released by the City of Cape Town. We did it! Our voices have been heard. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗲𝗺𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗮𝗱𝗺𝗶𝗻 𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗘𝗖𝗗 𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗼𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗮𝗽𝗲 𝗧𝗼𝘄𝗻.

This exemption is for ECD centres operating without the necessary land use approval in place or approved building plans. Centres in vulnerable areas no longer have to pay an administrative penalty before getting these approvals - 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝘄𝗶𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝗖𝗗 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆!

𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘦𝘹𝘦𝘮𝘱𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘵 𝘢𝘵 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘵 1,562 𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘴; 58,043 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 7,282 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘧𝘧 𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘴.

More detail to follow on which areas are included in this exemption, and how an ECD centre can determine if this exemption applies to them.

City of Cape Town Deputy Mayor Eddie Andrews

It’s FriYAY! Here’s a glimpse of our ECD teachers engaged in practical activities in our weekly Imbewu teacher training led by our Facilitator Ms Zingisa Ngcolo. 🤩

Getting creative with our ECD Basic Training students!

Another great milestone with Sikhula Sonke in partnership with ForAfrika and Industrial Development Corporation to support families that were affected by recent floods in the Western Cape…

A total of 300 families benefited. Amongst the supplies was a big bag full of food stuff, 4 blankets for each family, big waterproof Tarpaulin roof cover sail and more… some of the parents couldn't hold their tears. Thank you ForAfrika SA and Industrial Development Corporation - for reaching out to build family and community!

Happy Women's Day 2024!

Tribute to all women working for Sikhula Sonke, Women in the ECD sector and all South African Women in general. Wathint’ abafazi, Wathint’imbokodo (“You strike a woman, you strike a rock”)

The month of August in the South African calendar marks the commemoration of the Women’s month. This traces back to the Apartheid regime when the South African government finally extended Pass laws to women after more than 20,000 women marched to the Union Buildings to protest carrying passes on 9 August 1956.

Sikhula Sonke celebrates our women and the important role they play, both at Sikhula Sonke and as valuable members of our South African workforce. Over 90% of Sikhula Sonke’s team are women. They have kind hearts, gentle hands and are strong and determined. They are responsible for nurturing and laying the foundation for the youngest citizens of this country.

Ladies, thank you for serving not just this organization but the entire country with distinction. We know that you are often on the receiving end in all spheres of the society, yet you are the major role players and contributors in the economies of our country.

We really appreciate you; you are the pillars of this organization, the community, the society, and the country at large.

The Management team together with the Fatherhood Network from Sikhula Sonke would like to celebrate you with this special tribute, and with warm wishes for a very special and a beautiful month free from all cruelties directed towards women and children of South Africa. Happy Women’s month!

Responsive care matters!

Did you know that responsive care can boost a child's brain development and strengthen your bond? You can achieve this by creating opportunities for simple play that encourages curiosity and exploration, such as:
🌳 Engage in sensory play or nature walks.
🎭 Play dress-up or pretend play.
🪇 Have a dance party or make homemade instruments for a fun auditory experience.

Visit our Caregiver Learning Through Play website for more tips: https://www.cltp.org/

And what a FANTASTIC way to end the week! 8400 books donated by The Solon Foundation and Book Dash to our Toy library, ECD Centres and the Outreach programmes. 🎉 What amazing partners we have🤩. Thank you for reaching out to Khayelitsha’s young preschool children.

Protea Valley Church in Bellville donated tables, chairs and books in connection with Kay of Connect Network this week - thank you so much!!

Our partner Safe Hub, with adidas, blessed 85 families at UT gardens as part of the Mandela Day 67 minutes campaign. Thank you so much!

This week we held parenting workshops in all the sites. So great to spend time with these Mew Way and Enkanini parents.

Our hard working school bus in action today!

Thank you donors and CFAO Mobility - Toyota - Tokai and HCI Foundation for making this possible!

What a great workshop about Reproductive Health today! Thank you Prof Matsaseng Foundation; thirteen of our youth attended and will be sharing what they learned with our communities and staff.

“It is not beyond our power to create a world in which all children have access to a good education. Those who do not believe this have small imaginations.”- Nelson Mandela

Let us celebrate the life of Tata Madiba and continue his legacy by making every day a Mandela Day.

So great to connect with these parents who navigated the heavy rains this morning to come and collect food for their children. Thank you Wynberg Girls' High School for your bread spread and fruit donations!

It's Mandela Day and the lovely learners from Wynberg Girls' High School made yummy sandwiches for our learners which went down very well on this cold, rainy and wet day. Children enjoyed learning about Tata Nelson Mandela as they ate their lunches. Thank you girls!

The Philippi Clinic has experienced flooding as a result of the rainfall overnight. Staff and clients are unable to access the facility due to water levels in the yard. The clinic is closed until further notice – clients are asked to please visit the Hanover Park Community Health Centre.

The City apologises for the inconvenience.

Thank you for warming our hearts this week ForAfrika! 35 families received food parcels and warm fleece blankets on Monday, really needed before the next cold front hits.

We are revamping our Emthonjeni CO-4 site with the aid of the parents who are part of this outreach program.

Thanks Nal'ibali - some great ideas here!

Looking for ways to spread a love of reading among children in your home or community this ? Why not organise a book drive among your friends, or create a storybook wall?

To promote the spirit of literacy volunteerism, Nal'ibali has put together 67 ways to spark a love of reading among children this Mandela Day https://bit.ly/3b4WRNw

Please note that schools are closed tomorrow due to strong winds. Please keep safe.