It was a memorable event when Valencia Islamic Preschool officially reopened. It opened the doors of the new building in Ward 14 with a special celebration.

The executive mayor of the City Mbombela Local Municipality,  Cllr Sibusiso Mathonsi, as well as the founder, learners and the community recently celebrated this development.

The centre was established by Rabeia Mahomed 25 years ago. According to her, the opening of Valencia Islamic should be seen as part of the national ECD perspective where ECD migrates from the social department to education.

“The focus will be on increasing access and quality. We offer play-based learning to all racial groups, irrespective of religion, focusing on democratic citizenship with participatory team working among young children and ECD practitioners or teachers,” she said.

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“This centre will serve as a beacon and example of age-appropriate, developmentally contextualised play-based learning. I see it as a model site for young practitioners to improve their skills and competencies to become better practitioners through mentorship and coaching. We will endeavour to establish this centre as a one-stop shop for delivery with stakeholders as it is close to a clinic, and maternal and child health is promoted,” she explained.

In his statement, Mathonsi congratulated the team for its persistence over the years and said the community had every reason to celebrate this achievement. He praised the spirit displayed by the team and the tenacity to succeed, even in the face of adversity.

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“I wish the school well and pledge government’s support of the centre’s vision as it will help unleash the untapped potential of the children to grow into leaders and assets in society,” he said. The centre is open from Monday to Friday. Enquiries: 084-812-5276.