The National Development Plan published by the government in February 2013 states in its eight point plan, of direct and indirect measures to attack poverty:

• Introduce a nutrition programme for pregnant women and young children and extend early childhood development services for children under five.

We are hard at work ensuring The Early Care Foundation’s 5 year strategy supports the NDP, while continuing to address the specific needs of the communities in which we work and specifically that of the 0-5 year olds. The Early Care Foundation’s Enterprise Development Incubation Programme is a good example.

Enterprise Development

Companies direct their Enterprise Development spend to The Early Care Foundation’s programme which takes owners and staff of informal creches through a three-year process of training, resource provision and mentoring. This year will see 35 of these home-based creches complete their incubation process.

By the end of the year the staff qualifications, the centre’s daily programme and administration will all be compliant with requirements of the Child Care Act. This achieved, they are able to run their centres as sustainable small businesses which provide an on-going service for the pre-school children in the area.

A further 12 centres have been signed on and we have a waiting list of crèche owners ready to join once funding becomes available. The success of this programme is that it brings more women into the economy while providing for the needs of the local pre-school children.

We celebrated the happy occasion where 118 ECD practitioners were awarded certificates for the successful completion of the The Early Care Foundation C.A.R.E. Programme.

Over the last year these women have participated in a challenging programme of training, practice and assignments while continuing to work with the children at their centres.

It demonstrates the enormous perseverance and commitment of these practitioners to their work as caregivers of our young children.

Day-Mother Programme

We established a pilot project with a group of 15 day-mothers in a semi-rural area of the Mid-vaal. The women, who have very little formal education, are working through a skills development programme to ensure that the children, in their care receive better nutrition in a more stimulating and safe environment.

For more information on any of the items you found here

or to discuss how you could become involved in our work please

contact Ipeleng Mohlala at 011 463 0551

or visit our website www.ashatrust.com

PO Box 76482 Wendywood, 2144, South Africa

Tel: +27 (0)11 463 0551 | Fax: +27 (0)11 463 9296

Email: asha@ashatrust.com | www.ashatrust.com