In early October we began the Fun Foundation pilot programme at six of the Thanda farms, and it’s going really well! Early childhood development lays the foundation for a child’s life-long learning. To truly make a lasting impact in a child’s life, it is crucial to provide them with socio-emotional, physical, linguistic and academic support so that all children have the opportunity to thrive. Thanda currently offers an Early Childhood Development (ECD) programme to 72 children at our Community Centre, but there are still hundreds more children in our community that don’t have access to a crèche or ECD facility because it is too far from their home.
We noticed that many Thanda farmers had their children or grandchildren with them at the farm because there was nowhere else for their young family members to go. In fact, across the twenty-three Thanda farms, there are 84 children under the age of five, many of them spending their mornings at their guardian’s farm because crèches are too far away. This lack of educational stimulation can dramatically impact their early learning development. Luckily for them, Manager of Thanda ECD, Nokuthula, had the idea to take ECD to the farms so more children had access to quality learning opportunities. She said she got the idea last year when attending LETCEE’s NQF Level 4 training. She explains, “I met ladies who are mothers and working with children, but not at crèches, they told me they worked under the trees – I loved what they were doing and I think about my community. Because it’s like here (Thanda ECD) we are in high demand of the enrollment because we only take 72 kids and the other children are at home.” Of the farms we work with, some crèches are as far as 4km away, which doubled as a journey there and back, is too far for little legs to walk every day!
Thanks to Nokuthula’s brilliant idea, we launched Fun Foundations on the 7th October. Fun Foundations playgroups take place from Monday to Thursday every morning, when the farmers are working. These playgroups are led by paid Fun Foundation volunteers, who have been hired from the community and are being training by a partner organization, Singakwenza. Currently we have 44 children enrolled across six farms, and anticipate expanding in the years to come once we establish the success of the pilot. Providing ECD services to these children is particularly important, as it is a core element of our holistic approach to strengthening individuals and families. Farmers enrolled in our Organic Farming Programme are already receiving personal development training, as well as training through WordWorks on early literacy. Now, Fun Foundations will give their children and grandchildren the chance to enjoy fun and engaging educational activities that better prepare them for school.
Nafisa, Fun Foundation volunteer at one of the bigger playgroups at new farm Nanini-Nanini, said that she has learnt so much from being a teacher to the children in her playgroup, saying “I have also learned how to help them grow and learn. They can sing rhymes and name colours, or count to five or ten. They know the differences between big things and small things, and they have respect for one another like brothers and sisters.”
Singakwenza is providing ongoing training to Fun Foundation volunteers, showing them that play is the foundation for all young children who are learning. Using recycled materials, they train volunteers how to make toys out of waste products. This is a valuable lesson in how to reduce today’s waste culture and consider how to better care for the environment, using resources we all have at home. Training in these play-based activities cover four vital early-year developmental areas: Cognitive, physical, social and psychological, better preparing these children for school. Nafisa adds that “Many will go to Grade R next year and have never had a learning experience like this before, so it is creating a foundation.”
Nanini-Nanini farmer and mother, Neliswa, is happy that her son, Lwazi (age 4), is now learning every day, saying, “I really like that my son is in Fun Foundations. Now, he comes home (with me) every day and shares what he has learned. He can count to ten, he knows the difference between small and big and can sing many songs about parts of the body, even in English. He knows what school is now and likes it. It will help him for Grade R, which he is starting in January. He had no ECD experience.” Neliswa is new to farming and to Thanda, and with three children at home, is already seeing the benefits of farming. When we asked how her farming was going, Neliswa said “I like farming with Thanda because now, we eat fresh vegetables (and) have food every day. We cook at home and even have extra money to buy bread, salt, or fruits, even though we are new to Thanda. My favourite part is watching the vegetables grow. I am happy when they are big and green.”
Neliswa is happy to have joined the Thanda family, seeing benefits for herself and her family. She added, “Before Fun Foundations, he (Lwazi) would be at home doing nothing constructive. I would have to work or we didn’t have the things for him to play with. Now he is learning while I can farm.” When we asked Lwazi what his favourite part of Fun Foundations was, he said “being in a circle and singing”, then he broke out in song singing “if you’re happy and you know it” – he is so cute!
So as you can see, while it may be early days, with just two months in the Fun Foundation Pilot programme we are already seeing the benefits of extending ECD programme to our farms.
