Start a Preschool for 60 Children in South Africa

Donate to Siyabonga July 12 on the GlobalGiving website. If you give at 9:00am EDT or soon after, GlobalGiving will match your contribution up to 50%.

We have just completed our second term of the year and are on break for a few weeks. Thanks to all of you for making it possible for us to continue to provide quality care and education to the 70 children enrolled in our program. You are all part of the community supporting these children and allowing them to dream of a brighter future. Recently, we conducted a career activity with our four-year olds. We were pleased to hear so many express an interest in teaching, and we were proud that most every child wants to do something that would help others. Here is what we heard from the children pictured above (from left to right): Minenhle would like to be a nurse, Qiniso wants to be a teacher, Njabulo would like to be a doctor, Thandolwethu and Sandisiwe both want to be a teachers, Amahle wants to be a nurse, Melokuhle a teacher, and Sandile would like to be a doctor.

We are doing monthly assessments this year, which enables us to identify and address the developmental needs of our children. I also have been visiting the families of the children to ensure we are meeting their needs and to hear how the children are doing at home. The teachers and I were encouraged by the positive feedback we received.

• The grandmother of one student, Xolelwa, said she is amazed how much her granddaughter’s English has improved this year.
• Sibongokuhle’s parents are both unemployed. They have four children and struggle to put food on the table. They are very grateful that Sibongokuhle is able to get nutritious meals at Siyabonga. They are happy with the academic progress their child is making as well.
• Mpendulo lives with her maternal grandmother. The family survives on the old-age pension and child-support grant they receive. Like many in our community, Mpendulo’s mother left the area to look for employment. The food we provide to Mpendulo at the Centre is of great help to the family. The grandmother told me she is very pleased that Mpendulo is doing so well at school.

Overall, parents and guardians are pleased with the progress their children are making and thankful their children are able to attend Siyabonga.

All of us at the Centre and the families in our community are grateful for your continued contributions, which are an investment in our children’s futures. We are hoping we can count on you again to help us raise the funds we need to complete this year.

On July 12th, your donations to Siyabonga Early Childhood Education Centre through GlobalGiving will have an even greater impact: If you make a donation during GlobalGiving’s annual bonus day, Siyabonga can receive matching funds of up to 50%.  The event begins at 9:00am EDT on July 12 and will last until matching funds run out (this often happens quickly, so please give as soon after 9:00 as you can).

Thank you!

On January 11, we welcomed 65 new and returning students for the 2017 school year. We have 32 children in our 2 to 3 year old class and 33 children in our 3 to 4 year old class. The students and teachers were all happy to be back and eager to begin a new year of learning and growing. The children have been engaged in many activities, with team art projects being one of their favorites. In addition to drawing, the younger children made toy binoculars, while the three and four years old have been busy making animals out of different materials.

This year the teachers are implementing a new curriculum, with a focus on daily preparation and monthly assessments of the children’s progress in various areas. We have already begun to notice improvement in the learning of the children in just the short time we have been using this new approach.

Thanks to the volunteer time of the grandmother of one of our students, our garden is thriving, in spite of the water shortage we are experiencing due to a multiple year drought in the area. (The water shortage is one of our greatest challenges at the moment.) This year she planted spinach, tomatoes, beans, cabbages, green pepper, and onions.

We wanted to acknowledge and thank two of our teachers, Miss Nzuza and Miss Khoza, who wrapped packages at a local store during their holiday break and then donated their earnings to the Centre. The vouchers they earned help buy groceries for the Centre for January.

We wanted to introduce you to a few of our students this year and share with you the feedback we are hearing from their families.

Sandisiwe is a 3-year-old girl who lives with both her parents. She started attending Siyabonga in 2015 and has an older sister, Mabongi, who graduated from Siyabonga last December. Both girls are extremely bright and have done very well at Siyabonga. Mabongi started Grade R (kindergarten) at the local primary school this year but, after only a short time, was promoted to Grade 1. Their mother credits Siyabonga with how well her children are doing. She told us she thinks that Siyabonga is one of the best schools in the area and she can’t wait to bring her younger boy here next year.

Aphiwe, a 4-year-old girl, is staying with her maternal grandmother while her mother, a single parent, is away looking for employment. (Many people in our area have to leave to find employment due to the extremely high rate of unemployment here.) Her grandmother told us she is happy that the classes at Siyabonga are not crowded, like at many schools in the area, and that teachers have the time to give children individual attention. She is also thankful that breakfast and lunch are provided, since she knows many of the families in the area struggle to provide decent, healthy meals for their children.

Banele is a new student at Siyabonga this year. The four-year-old lives with his mother. She is employed and grateful to have a nice facility to bring him to while she is at work. Although Banele was born with a physical disability, he is a bright and engaged student who likes school and enjoys playing with toys. He is particularly fond of trucks and tries to play with them whenever it is time for indoor free play. Prior to this year, Banele attended a different centre. His mother told us that last year he would cry every morning before school and refuse to go but, since starting at Siyabonga in January, he has never complained about going to school or tried to stay home. His mother is convinced that Siyabonga is doing good work because of Banele’s reaction to attending.

Thank you again for making all of this possible and for helping the Board and the staff of Siyabonga meet the needs and concerns of the community we are serving. We look forward to continuing to do our best for the children and families in our community.  We know we couldn't do it without your support and are very grateful to you.