Start a Preschool for 60 Children in South Africa

We just completed the first half of the 2019 school year and are pleased to report that things at Siyabonga are going well. All our students are doing well – enjoying their time here and learning many new things, but our 4-year-old group is doing exceptionally well. Even though we are only in the middle of the year, they are already meeting the performance expectations for the full year and showing more maturity than usual. The teachers too are focused on learning - all four are continuing with their studies at University of South Africa and meeting regularly to share what they are learning.

In recognition of the contribution of students to ending Apartheid in South Africa, June is Youth Month and June 16 is a national holiday. For those who don’t know the history, in June 1976, during Apartheid, students boycotted school to protest a law that required Afrikanns as the medium of instruction, a language a majority of students did not speak. The students, who were demonstrating peacefully, were met by heavily armed police who first fired teargas and then live ammunition at the students. This event was significant in bringing worldwide attention to the policies of Apartheid and is credited with beginning the change of the political landscape in South Africa.

In recognition of Youth Month, every June at Siyabonga we have curriculum and activities related to the theme of Children’s Rights and Responsibilities. Although our youngest may not fully understand the significance of the history and the importance of children’s rights, we think it is critical to introduce the ideas to our children. We talk with them in particular about the right children have to a good education and their responsibility to study.

Just prior to our school holiday, we concluded our Youth celebration with an event for families and community members. The children did activities to demonstrate the rights they had learned and other accomplishments they have achieved during the first half of the school year.

Shorthly before our own celebration, we were honored to host the Minister of the Department of Social Development. Siyabonga was selected from all the ECD centers in the district to perform during her visit. The children performed some of things we had been preparing for our own celebration. The Minister was impressed with the performance of the students, particularly our older students who did extremely well on their rhymes, shapes, parts of the body, and their rights and responsibilities. The children also appeared on the television news that afternoon. Children were thrilled to be given school bags for performing.

Thank you again for your ongoing support. You are the ones that make it possible for us to provide this important program for children in our area.