Start a Preschool for 60 Children in South Africa

MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR JULY 15 WHEN GLOBAL GIVING WILL HAVE ITS LARGEST BONUS DAY OF THE YEAR. OUR SIYABONGA EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION CENTRE WILL RECEIVE A 50% MATCH ON DONATIONS YOU MAKE ON JULY 15.

Introducing Siybonga’s Lead Teacher and Her Student

Nqobile Msweli was born and raised in Mtubatuba, South Africa.  She is the oldest of five children and currently is living with her siblings, parents, and grandparents at the home of her maternal grandmother. Nqobile obtained her Matric certificate in 2006 and had hoped to go on to college but her family could not afford to send her. This year, with help from Thembanathi, she has started studying early childhood education at the University of South Africa.

After high school, Nqobile worked at Thembalesizwe Community Care Centre as a caregiver for orphans and vulnerable children. She also provided home-based care, helping to identify the needs of families in the area. When the Siybanoga Early Childhood Education Centre opened in January 2012, Nqobile was hired as the assistant teacher.  Visitors to Siyabonga have commented that Nqobile is a natural. She is engaged, calm, and caring.

Nqobile told us she really enjoys working with children. She feels working at Siyabonga has improved her life and she is thankful to everyone who has contributed to the centre.

Mandisa is a four-year-old student at Siyabonga. Nqobile told us that everyday Mandisa comes to school with a story to tell her. She focuses well as she plays and learns. She also gets along well with other children in her class. Mandisa appreciates everything her parents and teacher do for her and loves to share her happy moments with others. Mandisa is the oldest child in her family and is very talkative at home.

Working Together to Help Children

Although started as an AIDS hopsice, Holy Cross soon recognized the need to help children impacted by the disease and in 2002, opened an early childhood education center in a one-car garage. Thembanathi’s founder, Lindsey Reynolds, visited there in 2003 with a fellow college student and they began raising funds for Holy Cross soon after.  In 2004, the organization obtained funding to build a new early childhood education centre that accommodates up to 120 children. The director of Holy Cross, Sister Priscilla Dlamini, has not only inspired us through her tireless dedication to improving the lives of children and families in need, but also has been a tremendous resource for other local leaders. When we started working with community members in a nearby region to open Siyabonga Early Childhood Center, Sister Priscilla stepped up to provide guidance and assistance to the new director and board.

Recently, Sister Priscilla partnered with Embury Institute for Teachers Education to provide early childhood development training to teachers from Holy Cross and invited Siyabonga staff to join them. Three teachers from Siyabonga have been attending the program, dedicating their weekends to the training. We are excited for this opportunity to partner our two programs with other resources in the province. Staff told us they are learning about the needs of young children and the role of a good teacher. We are hopeful the training will provide our teachers with the tools and techniques to be able to facilitate active learning appropriate to their community and promote healthy development in the children we serve.  

Looking Ahead

We are very pleased to be able to fund a new position at Siyabonga starting next month. We are currently recruiting for an executive director who will lead an effort to make the organization more independent, sustainable, and responsive to the needs of the community. The new director will be responsible for expanding the services we offer to provide more support for children and families in the community.  While early childhood education is a critical service that lays the foundation for children’s future, it is vital in areas of extreme poverty to continue to provide children with support throughout their primary and secondary school years. We hope you will continue to support the efforts of Siyabonga to make a difference in the lives of these young children by donating during Global Giving’s bonus day on Wednesday, July 15.

Thank you!