|
Friends of
South African Rural Preschool Development
was established in the USA to support the work of Ntataise, a
non-profit, non-governmental early childhood training organization
in South Africa. Since 1980, Ntataise has:
-
Trained 12,000 women from disadvantaged rural
communities with the skills and knowledge
to set up and run their own preschools.
-
Served over 300,000 children through these
preschools, who would otherwise have had no
access to this care and early stimulation during their most
formative years.
-
Established 16 independent Early Childhood
Development (ECD) training organizations spanning 8
provinces in order to reach more women and young children.
-
Supported parents and their communities in advocacy
for early childhood education
Today, Ntataise is a leading training organization for
early childhood education, health and nutrition, HIV/AIDS education,
financial management for establishing preschools, supervision of
preschool and daycare centers, assessment of classroom and preschool
environments, and parent and community development. The training and
on-going support primarily serve economically poor rural areas.
Since 1994, the African government has made “educational for all” a
priority. Unfortunately, due to limited resources, their focus is on 7-9
year olds who have yet to enter elementary school. Nevertheless, recent
research has emphasized the critical role of early stimulation and
education, and has shown that timely and appropriate interventions can
reverse the effects of early deprivation. However, to date, only 16% of
children younger than 6 years attend preschools, 12% of available
teachers are qualified to work with young children, and 20% of existing
preschool structures meet regulations. Preschool education (2-6 year
olds), especially in rural disadvantaged communities, remains in
critical need of support.
Young children need a rich ECD curriculum, a warm, nurturing
environment, nutritious meals, and health screenings to have a chance at
a brighter future. Please offer your support to sustain Ntataise for
future generations. Lead a young child by the hand and join us to
celebrate Ntataise.
For more information call Friends of
South African Rural Pre-school Development at: (516) 992-2023 or
write to us at: P.O. Box 747, Long Beach, NY
11561
|
::