Meet Nosipho, a young enthusiastic woman from Monwabisi Park!
Her love for children coupled by her passion for Community Development has led to her 11 years of service in the field of Early Childhood Development (ECD). She initially started off as a volunteer at her son’s pre-school in the suburbs of Woodstock in Cape Town. After experiencing the development of young children she dreamed that the children in her community too could be developed in the same manner. This led her to join the Open Air Classroom – Emthonjeni – programme in Monwabisi Park 3 years ago.
Nosipho is currently studying for her diploma in ECD and now started her very own centre. On a daily basis she is witness to the hunger and poverty in her community. Her experience has taught her that children cannot learn and grow with empty stomachs. She decided to seek sustainable solutions to provide meals for the children in the Emthonjeni Programme.
Together with a group of garden enthusiasts, Nosipho started the gardening project Manzi Garden just behind the Neighbourhood Centre in Monwabisi Park, where the ECD programmes are taking place. They encourage children and parents from the Emthonjeni programme to bring in their food waste in order to make Bokashi – a form of compost. The produce that grows is used to feed children in the Emthonjeni programme.
Nosipho and her team did not realize the remarkable contribution their programme is having on the children and families in the community. It is through their efforts that parent and child interaction has increased, parents have become so much more aware of ECD and its importance. And most of all there is local, healthy produce available to provide meals for children so that they may learn more effectively.
The team is seeking to expand their project and work tirelessly day to day to ensure the sustainability of their programme. They are also hoping to sell produce to local stores to bring in revenue into their project to increase its reach and sustainability.
For more stories about our #ECDforALL project, check out our Global Giving page.
