A new Early Childhood Development (ECD) facility was launched on Monday 4 July at Red Hill informal settlement to assist with literacy skills and education needs of young children aged three to six.
The open-air deck is aimed at assisting pre-school and play school teachers and staff to host ECD activities in a safe environment.
Chris Owen-Collett, general manager of Micato Safaris in Southern Africa, said a safe space was needed for younger children in the community to play and learn.
“The whole project began with the library, community centre and computer centre. We’ve created employment within the community, trained someone to be a librarian, we have a formal educator here and we do all sorts of projects.”
Micato and its NPO AmericaShare opened a library, computer and community centre in Red Hill in May 2019, which supported education and skills development.
Said Owen-Collett: “What was happening was that younger children were coming in, especially over times such as the holidays, boisterous and playing, while older kids and adults wanted to have a quieter place to do their homework, or job and grant applications.
“So that is when the idea was born that we needed to see whether we could separate it, and there’s been this focus on early childhood development and a recognition that a lot of our kids start on the backfoot and they’re not even ready for formal schooling because there is a lack of that.”
He added that the facility caters for children in pre-primary ages from 3 to 6 years.
“They need to develop fine-motor skills and various abilities like that before they even get to formal schooling, and there’s a lack of that. We are constantly looking for various programmes we can put together that will help the community from an education point of view, so it’s not just ECD, it is adult education for things like writing a CV properly, how to do an interview for a job and those are very important to us and of course the local community can help us with that.”
He added that most tourists and locals were not aware of the vibrant and close-knit community. “It is ironic that Red Hill is situated on the Cape Point tourism-route which sees more than a million visitors every year.
“Micato and AmericaShare remain committed to continue our support to the community through responsible tourism and the generous funding of our guest. This is a true example of how travel-with-a-purpose can drive positive change and increase the percentage of young children in South Africa who can thrive by five, setting more children up for success.”
Fran Gebhardt, spokesperson for AmericaShare, said the 75 m² underroof structure will help to address challenges faced in the community.
“Red Hill is perched on a steep hillside and affords spectacular views over the Cape of Good Hope. This is the one extreme; the other is the day-to-day hardships of poverty and lack of access to basic services. This wonderful space offers the children a great place for educational activities.”
There are approximately 4 000 residents in Red Hill informal settlement of which about 2 000 are under 18.
The deck which is the facility for the ECD was officially opened by the Walker family from the US, who were the main sponsors.
Ethel Tshandu, the community librarian, says more volunteers are always needed.
“We need volunteers to get involved with the various projects we are running. Locals can assist with homework and reading lessons as well as adult literacy and skills development. Your time is a valuable investment in the future of our community.”
