One of the projects we are working on is an Early Learning Centre in the village. It will include a pre-school, an after-school tutoring programme for learners from the local government schools, a school mentorship programme (to support principals and teachers at these same schools), a library and a clinic.
One of the first things we did when we arrived was to rent an empty hut in the village to start the pre-school. The preschool has been running for almost a month now, with 21 eager kids. The kids follow a very simple routine - from 08h00 to 12h30, including breakfast, fruit snack and a light lunch.
There are no school fees, but families have to assist one day a month at the school in lieu of payment. This involves baking a bread (for lunchtime sandwiches), assisting with food preparation and cleaning up. So far this has worked extremely well.
Our amenities are very basic at the moment, but we've managed to raise R858,000 so far to build and run a superb Early Learning Centre which will provide the kind of quality education we all want for our own children.
We began digging the foundations last week, on the land donated by the community for the ELC. And we're planning an official opening in mid June. All welcome to this very auspicious occasion!!
Foundations of the first building for the Jujurha Early Learning Centre.
Sonja - please keep posting about the school (ELC). I enjoy your stuff even more than Charles' postings. My wife is a retired early childhood teacher and she will enjoy them too. Anything new on the school for older kids?
ReplyDeleteThanks for this. I’d love to hear more about the school. From the pictures, the children certainly seem engaged (and like mine when they were younger, snack time seems to be a favourite part of their day). You’ve done a remarkable job adding colour to the grey cinder block, metaphorically as well as literally.
ReplyDeleteSusan