SIKHULA SONKE HIGHLIGHTSThe Imbiza Family Community Motivator (FCM) programme implements the First 1000 Days programme which focuses on the development of a child from pregnancy to two years of age. The programme provides pregnant mothers with essential information and support for their babies and own health.
Our FCM facilitators are also trained in the BrainBoosters programme. This material helps to educate parents and caregivers about how to teach and educationally stimulate their children's development through play and reading. We average 220 families who participate annually, 2300+ home visits, 240+ children reached, at least 20 special needs children helped and more children referred to specialists for follow up. THE IMBEWU COACHING & SUPPORT PROGRAMME is designed to empower ECD practitioners with basic early childhood development skills. Practitioners are trained in the practical skills of running a classroom learning environment and how to stimulate children to learn. They are also trained in inclusive education to empower them to cope with children with special needs. The Imbewu programme supports 169 ECD centres and their teachers / practitioners in Khayelitsha. We use material from Inclusive Education, The Unlimited Child, Nali'i'bali and more. OUR FUNDA UDLALE TOY LIBRARY PROGRAMME has seen expansion of its activities. The Harare Square Toy Library continues to be a resource centre for ECD centres and for participants in Sikhula Sonke’s family and community programmes, as well as the local community in Harare itself. The Funda Udlale programme has helped many children in their development. Many children in our programmes are from the poorest areas of Khayelitsha, where parents simply cannot afford to buy toys, let alone educational toys. The Toy Library helps these children to learn through play and broadens their environment through access to and interaction with different educational toys, games and books. The Toy Library facilitates up to 7300 child interactions each year. ECDs make use of our facilities and during COVID lockdowns, we adapted to take toys and books to parents in their own home. We also use the opportunity to check in with children, caregivers, ECD teachers and provide ongoing free child raising, teaching and parenting skills courses. THE EMTHONJENI ‘WELLSPRING OF LEARNING’ PROGRAMME provides ECD stimulation to children who cannot access formal ECD learning or preschools due to lack of access to finance, transport or for other reasons. Emthonjeni happens in designated public community spaces next to communal water taps and in community parks like that of UT Gardens. Facilitators travel to the area with all that is needed (tables, gazebos, books, toys etc) and set up for the morning. During the year these children are introduced to different themes of ECD learning. Many are referred to specialised institutions for various special needs including hearing and visual screening. Caregivers and parents of the children in this programme also participate in an intensive Parent/Caregiver Training programme intervention to equip them with health and parenting skills. Emthonjeni facilitates 1500+ individual child, parent & caregiver interactions hosted in public spaces around Khayelitsha each year. In 2021, 87 of our Emthonjeni learners graduated to primary school after meeting all their developmental milestones. |
General stats
Over 240 Early Childhood Development Practitioners have been trained in Basic Assistant Teacher Training over the past six years, reaching more than 3500 children.
Sikhula Sonke has coached and trained 75+ ECD sites, resulting in many becoming registered with the Department of Social Development. Children graduating to junior school
We partner with local preschools and with caregivers. It is a joy to see many of the children that we reach either directly or indirectly (through equipping and supporting preschools and educators) move forward confidently into Grade R or Grade One at local primary schools in Khayelitsha.
Click here to check out our annual reports for all the stories! |
