MEMBERS of the Somerset East community and officials gathered at Mini Marvel Day Care Centre to celebrate the launch of the early childhood development (ECD) infrastructure programme recently.
This marks the first of three ECD new building and renovation initiatives that Cookhouse Wind Farm has embarked on.
The ECD infrastructure programme’s overall objective is to provide infrastructure for sustainable, universal availability of ECD, which allows for equitable access to quality and comprehensive services, for communities within Somerset East, Cookhouse, Bedford and Adelaide.
The partnership between the private sector and government is vital to drive development in South Africa, and particularly the Eastern Cape, which requires funding that exceeds the current available budget, to respond to ECD infrastructure needs in this rural province.
“Public-private partnerships are of vital importance to unlock challenges in order to prepare young children for formal schooling and thereby level the playing fields,” explained Cookhouse Wind Farm community operations manager, Elton Gordon.
The building and renovation is to increase capacity, reduce overcrowding and improve conditions for children.
The first beneficiary of this infrastructure programme, Mini Marvels, currently provides care for 60 learners, from babies to six-year-olds, in the Somerset East community.
Following the completion of improvements to the centre, additional space will be available for a sickbay and additional toilets that are wheelchair friendly, as well as extensions to the kitchen. School principal, Veronica Martins, said, “The teachers and parents are so excited about what is soon to happen at Mini Marvels, as they have waited such a long time for this intervention. The upgrade of the centre will significantly improve the quality of life especially for the young learners.”
The practitioners at Mini Marvels have completed their NQF Level 2 training, also funded by the wind farm’s ECD flagship initiative, which is designed to improve the overall functionality and resources of ECD centres.
