ECD facilities take on lockdown
This does not mean that early learning programmes for children have ground to a halt.
The shutdown of early childhood development (ECD) facilities has resulted in the disruption of critically needed nutrition, care and stimulating early learning programmes for the youngest members of our society.
Sarah Mcguigan, executive director of Ntataise, one of the oldest early childhood development NGOs in South Africa, says all is not negative as it can take a crisis to bring out the best in people, to test our creativity and ingenuity, to make sure we remain focused and carry on.
“We welcome the generosity of South Africans who have made considerable financial donations to meet critical needs thrown up by the virus and hope these will include food, water and safety measures for the youngest members of South African society. Despite the lockdown, the needs of children haven?t changed, and it is paramount that we continue to remain focused and carry on regardless of the seismic shifts we are experiencing.
“Mentoring put on hold Ntataise’s ECD training, mentoring and development work, which started 40 years ago on farms in the Free State, has been put on hold in terms of women, men and children being physically present at training sessions, parent programmes or early learning centres and playgroups.
“We might be in lockdown, but Ntataise continues to be in regular contact with its trainers, ECD practitioners, parents and community leaders by means of social media.
“It is fortuitous that along with our 21 network members, Ntataise has over the past couple of years provided training for the different organisations on how to use various IT platforms – be it for management, administration, training and sharing learning activities – for children in the three-to-six age group,” said McGuigan.
Online programmes
Puleng Motsoeneng, director of Ntataise, was instrumental in the development of the early learning activities, online programmes.
“This online work was an attempt to go to scale and reach a far larger number of practitioners, parents and pre-school children than we are able to through our normal programmes.
“In the initial stage, we produced 17 three- to five-minute video clips filmed in the Rammulotsi township with practitioners and children involved in local Ntataise programmes.
There are more in the making.
At the start of the lockdown we added written descriptions of the activities in these clips and have made the package available on the Ntataise website (www.ntataise.org).
The clips can be downloaded at no cost.
Relevant information is also available on the Ntataise social media platforms.
“These activities help not only to keep children busy and learning, but they are encouraging ECD practitioners and parents to share their experiences and coping mechanisms and we are not the only organisation sharing and developing materials.”
Unicef, along with government departments and other NGOs, have brought the ECD field together in what I think is an unprecedented way for the sake of early learning.
Commencing of learning after Covid-19 Once Covid-19 has been brought under control, the Ntataise team will physically return to the field to ensure vulnerable children living in disadvantaged communities continue to access quality ECD opportunities which support their physical, emotional and cognitive growth, and through its online programmes reach an even greater number of parents, practitioners and children, this is a team effort, said Motsoeneng.
“We could not do it without the partnership of the funders who support this vital work and the communities we work with, We believe the normal work of non-profit organisations in the children’s sector is as important now as it was before the lockdown, adapted where necessary in the face of the challenge that Covid-19 presents and needs everyone’s continued support during this time.
“In the words of André Viviers from Unicef: “The ECD sector can be proud of itself in this state of lockdown.”
