‘They just sat there. Some were so trussed up in their thick winter jackets that they could barely move.” These are the heartbreaking conditions related to me about a crèche for children in Makhanda. At least they would have the freedom to explore and learn.
But picture this instead: In a modest shack behind a Makhanda nursery school’s swings, 12 mothers sit in a circle laughing as their toddlers explore handmade toys on dusty floors. The mothers are learning something profound: that playing with children can change everything. The Playmat session is facilitated by the Lebone Centre’s Kaylynne Rushin and Akia Lucas.
“Playing with your child doesn’t need to be expensive; it’s all about the bond and the skills they gain from it,” Rushin says, taking out handmade plastic balls and picture books made from cereal boxes and magazine pictures they taught the parents to make. Laughter echoes through the room as they begin to play, sing and dance. “It has helped me love my child,” says Olwethu Mphofu.
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The advice and encouragement she gets from the sessions help her sustain an environment of love and support for her child. “In the next 15 years, I will see my child at Rhodes University.” Another mother, Laurene Jackson, says: “My daughter struggled with her development; she couldn’t speak properly and then there was a stage where she couldn’t walk. But we joined the programme and everything got better.
She started walking, started growing. Now she is five, and she can count to 100.” Early childhood development(ECD) is a term that is being bandied about a lot these days. Minister of Basic EducationSiviwe Gwarubehas allocated additional funds for ECD centres to register through the Bana Pele Mass Registration Drive and receive an increased subsidy.
A good start. But much more needs to be done. The budget figures bear this out — R332 billion was allocated to primary and secondary education this year, while another R142bn was allocated to tertiary education (plus R55bn for NSFAS and R42bn for skills and vocational training).
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