The saying goes, the more you love your children, the more they learn to love others.
And this is what teachers and staff at the Gateway Children’s Centre in Kensington have been portraying towards the learners for the past 50 years.
The Christian Leadership Centre was established on 13 July 1971 and was opened by Rev Dr Alex Boraine, former president-elect of the Methodist Conference.
The centre included the Gateway Children’s Centre which consisted of a crèche, a nursery school, and the Wesley Community Centre.
The Early Childhood Development (ECD) centre celebrates its 53rd anniversary this year.
Rev Jon Stewe, minister at the church and chair of the board of management of Gateway Children’s Centre, says the ECD has always been an inclusive facility. “It has always been a centre open for all, regardless of race or religion. We have children whose parents are from other countries; we have Muslim children. Our only motto is to take care of the best interest of the children. There are no labels attached, that has always been the trend and we are proud of that.”
Stewe says for the past 52 years they have aimed to prepare children for the real world.
“We don’t only shape kids for the academic challenges when they go to Grade R, but we aim to give them tools to become good human beings. We want to develop the child holistically so that when they leave here, they are able to connect with the world.”
The centre currently has 37 children from ages two to five years and three teachers.
“We regard ourselves as a contributor to the education of our area. The centre is family orientated. We are not a blood family, but we create a good environment for people to feel recognised, cared for, loved and appreciated. Some of our staff members have been working here for more than 40 and 20 years,” explains Stewe.
He says the centre faced a bleak future during the hard lockdown as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“The Centre faced closure due to the financial blow. When Covid-19 hit, we asked ourselves are we going to continue because sustaining the place was a challenge. We had to retrench staff and that was terrible.”
He says before Covid-19 they had more than 70 children.
Shirley Willenberg, principal of the centre, says working with the children is a passion.
“Working here and with the children brings me joy. It is only by God’s grace that the crèche is still up and running. There have been a lot of people that have served the centre well over the years. Cathy Edwards was the first principal. Carol Matthews was also a principal here and they played a vital role in the school.”
Raney February has been working at the centre for 26 years.
“I started as an assistant cook, then an after carer. The passion I have for the kids and seeing them every day is my highlight. I love cooking for them, so for me, it’s all about the kids.”
Riccardo Roodt is a former learner who now serves on the management board at the centre. He says: “This is one of those full circle moments for me because even my daughter attended here. I remember crèche, doing the concerts. I am super proud of knowing the school and being part of school for so long. I have lived abroad and come back to South Africa and the place is still standing. Their survival spirit should be celebrated even after 53 years.”
Stewe says for the past few years the facility was driven and financed by the church and by donors.
Willenberg explains that they are always in need of resources and donations.
“We are always in need of support. Things are expensive. We supply children with breakfast and lunch so groceries are welcome. We would also appreciate educational resources, a projector and a flat-screen TV. If there are people that can invest in our play area that would be appreciated.”
Stewe says they are hopeful about the future and see the ECD still operating for the next 50 years.
“We would like to start the Grade R class again. There will always be a need to continue offering early childhood development within the school and we see ourselves being part of that in the future.”
He adds: “We are not ashamed of what we are doing. We believe that we do honest work and that we serve the community. As long as the need is there, we are constantly looking at different ways to become innovative and creative about what we are doing. We see ourselves as being part of a much bigger group of people in this community.”
He explains that they also work closely with local colleges and often have students assisting them.
Stewe says they are grateful for the support from parents and donors over the past five decades.
“We want to express our appreciation to the community and parents who have trusted Gateway with taking care of their kids. The parents are our greatest stakeholders. If it was not for them, we would have no business here. Our teachers who have served through the years, all of them have been valued here.”
