STAFF from the Chris Hani Development Agency (CHDA) and the Inxuba Yethemba Municipality (IYM) visited the Masigcinane Educare Centre in Lusaka last week Wednesday, July 31.
“As part of Mandela month, we wanted to give our time and efforts to a really needy cause,” said CHDA public relations and communications officer, Anga Matanga.
“We wanted the children to have fun, be happy, have something to eat and just feel some love.”
The CHDA staff decided to support the school with much needed groceries to the value of R10 500, which was paid for from their own pockets.
Noncedo Zonke, IYM director of integrated planning and local economic development, also attended the event, accompanied by several IYM officials.
“Education is very important,” Zonke said. “Economic freedom comes through education and development of skills that empower people to obtain financial freedom.
“There can never be enough focus on early childhood development, because if we miss the foundation phase, a whole generation is lost.”
While schools like Masigcinane do receive quarterly government grants, they have no way to tide over the periods when these grants are delayed, a situation that has become quite prevalent in the Eastern Cape.
“With an unemployment rate of 90%, Lusaka is the poorest of the nine wards in Inxuba Yethemba Municipality. Parents of children in this creche cannot contribute much, and therefore we highly appreciate CHDA’s decision to become involved in the plight of Masigcinane,” Zonke said.
Nontembeko Nomnganga, chief financial officer of CHDA, told Mid-Karoo Express that the children of Masigcinane were treated as the VIPs for the event.
“We wanted to do something concrete in this poverty-stricken area. CHDA did proper scouting, with the help of IYM, and decided that we would not just help Masigcinane on a hit-and-run basis, but rather commit at least to a three-year effort to this school.
“We will remain involved and have also undertaken to identify stakeholders from the private sector who could contribute to the school’s operation, as part of their social awareness programmes.”
Masigcinane Education Centre takes care of the educational needs of 50 children aged five and under. According to principal Nokhanyiso Zizi, the school would welcome community support. “We need all kinds of indoor and outdoor toys, paint, brushes, paper and crayons,” Zizi said.
CHDA also paid the creche’s arrears electricity bill of R2 800, paid R3 500 in advance and made an additional donation of R1 500 of prepaid electricity on the day of their visit.
