- Parents of children at Children of the Light Educare (COLT) in Rondebosch East are graduating from a Parent Education Programme at the Samaj Centre in Rylands Estate.
- The programme, in collaboration with Arise Family, aimed to address social and behavioural issues by strengthening family resilience.
- The graduation ceremony, coinciding with Women’s Day celebrations, honours the commitment and strength of participating parents.
Parents of children at the non-profit organisation (NPO) Children of the Light Educare (COLT) in Rondebosch East are hosting a graduation ceremony today (6 August) in the Samaj Centre in Rylands Estate for parents who completed the Parent Education Programme.
“When we enroll children at COLT we understand that we have to work with the parents as well when educating the child. With each new intake, many social and behavioural issues emerge throughout the year. It is against this background that we partnered with Arise Family (a NGO), and initiated a parent education programme. Arise Family focuses on family strengthening services aimed to preserve, strengthen and support families in resource-poor communities to build resilience so that children and their families can overcome adversities and reach their full potential,” says Mala Maitra Makan, principal of COLT.
The Parent Education Programme was held over 10 weeks, from April until June, and parents are graduating today.
“Today, Children of Light Educare wishes to celebrate our ‘women of light’ for their courage and strength. These women showed up at each training session amidst their own personal struggles, doing this with their children in mind. We are so proud of them and will celebrate this milestone with them,” says Makan.
Free education
COLT opened its doors in October 2017 and has successfully established an Early Childhood Development Programme that offers free education to children living in impoverished communities in Rondebosch East, Athlone and Lansdowne.
“Our children all come from the Mohan Avenue Community, Hadji Ebrahim and Flamingo Heights informal settlements in this area. The Educare is a project of the Children of Light Educare Trust, which is a registered NPO and sustains itself on donor funding and volunteer support. This year, we have 20 children enrolled at COLT for the school year. They are all between three and six years old. Six children are in our Grade 0 (four to five years) class and 14 are in the Sunflower Class (three to four years).
“We further serve the needs of all our past students and their families (56 children in total). Our permanent staff complement consists of a principal, an administrator, two teachers, one teaching assistant, one social auxiliary worker and a driver. The operational running of Educare is supported by a team of volunteers, all women, via the Operations Committee.
COLT Educare has over the years developed a relationship of trust with the parents. This means that parents and staff support each other, ensuring that the children are educated with love and respect. Quarterly parent-teacher meetings have 100% attendance and this platform provides an opportunity for communicating with the parents.
The parents are informed of term activities and kept up to date on health and welfare issues.
A sister from the Lansdowne Clinic shares information on current primary health recommendations, the social auxiliary worker provides social support and advises on relevant document application processes.
- For more information contact Makan on 084 919 4864.
- For more information on Educare and its activities, visit the website and social media sites: Facebook page, Instagram profile.
