Equal chances to start school in South Africa

Impande Press Release

Equal chances to start school in South Africa – an impactful visit to Impande

Zilla Stekhoven : Founder of Sawabona Africa e.V.

“We will only see an equal tomorrow if children are given a fair chance in life.   This is the core focus of Impande who works in the poorest areas of South Africa, working at giving children who attend pre-school in the poorest communities in South Africa the best possible chances to start school on an equal footing.  It was a true blessing to visit these rural areas of Kwa-Zulu Natal South Africa, and see the meaningful work of Impande. In this blog I share more.

A 2020, the report issued by Unicef, analysed multi-dimensional poverty in South African children revealed horrific results. The findings are such that 6 out of 10 children in South Africa are multidimensionally poor. These dimensions include access to water, sanitation, housing, nutrition, protection, health, child development and information. Among the most affected are children living in the rural areas of the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu Natal and Limpopo provinces. Children who live in households where the head has no formal schooling are overwhelmingly deprived. 1

The first 6 years of a child’s life are critical to the wellbeing of a child’s development 2.  In my recent blog: School Start in South Africa, I discussed the findings from the THRIVEby5 report, reporting that 65 % of children in South Africa who attend an Early Learning Programme (ELP) are not adequately prepared to start school due to inadequate Early Childhood Development (ECD) opportunities. 3

KZN hills
Image: Rolling hills of KwaZulu Natal. Source: Author

Making a meaningful impact in these communities.

It was with great delight that I was introduced to Impande by a friend, a charity working in Early Childhood Development in 2 of the most vulnerable provinces in South Africa – Eastern Cape and KwaZulu Natal (KZN).

Impande offers a wholistic approach to Early Childhood Development (ECD). This includes the provision of infrastructure to existing preschools – many operating out of a basic shack, training of teachers, equipping the schools with appropriate educational toys and books, provision of a nutritious meal to children. Impande supports ECD centres get registered so they can benefit from government grants and tracks their impact.

Before
Image: A preschool in need of an ‘upgrade’. Source: Author

Seeing it with our own eyes

It is only real when one sees this with one’s own eyes. My husband Claus and I gladly took up the invitation to visit Impande and see their work first hand in rural KZN.  

KZN is a magnificent province, following the East Coast of South Africa (towards Mozambique) with rolling green hills which go as far as the eye can see. Communities are scattered across these hills. Impande is located in Port Shepstone a small coastal town on the Southern Coast of KZN. We were greeted with a warm welcome from staff and were presented with the facts, figures and overview of the work Impande does.

The next day, our hosts drove us to a pre-school which is urgently in need of a new building. A tiny shack, a small kitchen and 1 toilet– which we call a long drop in South Africa as it does not flush. There was no playground for the children to play in when they take a break.  Children have a few toys, and a very small space dark space inside.   

Impande after
Image: A well-equipped ECD centre. Source: Author

The contrast to a well-equipped, pre-school built by Impande which was our next stop is astounding. A beautiful bright building with 2 classrooms, a porch to stay dry and eat meals, a kitchen, sickbay / office and a playground with a slide, see saws and engaged children.

We wanted to see more. On the following day we were invited to take a drive to another pre-school to witness the coaching and teaching in action. I received my biggest welcome, reading classes, active play, valuable input provided to teachers on their teaching methods, a healthy meal. Children cleared up their toys and put their empty dishes away.

Children at play
Image: Children at play. Source: Author

Lasting Impressions

We left Impande and the beautiful landscapes of KZN imprinted on our brains, along with impressions that will stay for life: the engagement and benefit to children receiving quality pre-school education, and the sharp contrast of how it is when not. And mostly, a clear focus and intention to onboard Impande as one of our partner charities and get right onto start fundraising to build many more pre-schools in these under-resourced communities where help will go a long way.

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