In the poorer regions of the world, particularly in the townships of South Africa, access to high-quality early childhood education is severely limited. The newly Early Childhood Development Centre / Pre-school in Heideveld will close this gap. The ECD centre will provide 100 children under the age of six a high-quality learning and play environment in which the youngest members of society are prepared for the start of school.

The donation from the Allianz Children’s foundation will go towards the development of the centre. This includes a playground with climbing frames to provide girls and boys with child-friendly exercise opportunities. Another focus is the training teachers according to Montessori principles. The funds are used both for further training and for the provision of appropriate educational materials. The programme will be professionally monitored to ensure that the investments have a long-term positive impact on the children’s development.

The construction is environmentally friendly and creates jobs

As part of the Goal50 project, the ECD centre is built from sustainable materials that are sourced locally. These include car tyres filled with building rubble for the exterior walls, plastic bottles filled with waste for the interior walls, as well as polyurethane sheeting, film set waste and other recycled materials. Not only are natural buildings more sustainable, the project also supports the local economy and provides work for local residents. As part of the Montessori programme, unemployed women from the community will also betrained and employed as ECD teachers.

On site in Cape Town, the project is overseen by Uthando (Love) South Africa. This non-profit organisation offers an award-winning model for responsible tourism and philanthropy: as part of a half-day excursion, visitors get to know various community projects and the people behind them personally. These are projects in different townships: Day care centres and pre-schools, environmental and agricultural programmes, youth development and care, retirement homes and animal welfare. The organisation uses its global networks to generate donations and facilitate exchange between local initiatives and international supporters. The central project partner is Sawabona Africa. The non-profit organisation acts as a communication interface, takes care of all contractual aspects and ensures that every cent of a donation reaches the project. Sawabona Africa supports various charitable organisations in southern Africa, which are checked and verified.

Feedback from Project Partners

‘We are very proud to support the construction of a brand-new centre for early childhood development in Cape Town. Early education and support are the key to giving disadvantaged children in South Africa better opportunities for the future. In addition to providing a good start in life with a good pre-school education, it is also about offering the girls and boys a protected space in which they can develop freely,’ explains Dr Hans-Christoph Dölle, Managing Director of Allianz Children’s Foundation gGmbH.

‘Many children in South Africa grow up in difficult social and economic circumstances. We want to give them hope and prospects with this project,’ emphasises James Fernie, founder of Uthando (Love) South Africa. ‘The boys and girls can prepare for the start of school in a safe and stimulating learning environment. Parents can rest assured that their children are well looked after. The local residents get work. In addition, the ecological design also protects the environment.’

‘We are grateful for the trust and support we have received from the Alliance Children’s Foundation gGmbH foundation,’ says Zilla Stekhoven, founder of Sawabona Africa. The South African-educated lawyer worked internationally in many fields before founding Sawabona Africa in 2021. ‘This project shows once again how international cooperation can lead to positive change in local communities. With Uthando (Love) South Africa, we have an organisation at our side that shares our values and helps where help is needed – directly in the townships of Cape Town.’