A PARTNERSHIP between Siyakholwa Development Foundation and several early childhood development (ECD) centres around Mthatha is yielding positive results, through employment creation and ensuring food security.
Siyakholwa Development Foundation, established in 2001, is a strategic implementing partner for the Social Employment Fund (SEF), an initiative of the Presidential Employment Stimulus.
Through the SEF, the Siyakholwa Development Foundation is able to create work opportunities in early childhood development initiatives, greening projects and the environment, and healthcare, as well as food security and nutrition, with upliftment projects stretching to the community of Mthatha in the Eastern Cape, amongst others.
“In some of our bigger centres the SEF has made it possible for us to employ a gardener to start and maintain a food garden on an ongoing basis. We are extremely grateful to be recognised as an implementation partner, as it enables us to do so much good in the communities which we serve,” said Siyakholwa Development Foundation chief executive, Dr Rejoice Shumba.
Nomhle Daycare Centre in Bityi is one of the centres that has benefited from partnering with Siyakholwa.
“Our partnership with Siyakholwa has really helped us. Currently I have two gardeners who work in our food garden and receive a monthly stipend from Siyakholwa. Two ECD practitioners and I also get monthly stipends which help put food on the table for our families,” said Nomhle Daycare Centre founder, Bulelwa Kratshi.
Kratshi added that Siyakholwa also supplied them with vegetable seedlings to get their food garden started.
She says that the vegetables from the garden help ensure that the 39 children under their care at the centre are served nutritious meals, while they also donate some of their produce to needy members of their community.
According to Siyakholwa, 1,600 employment opportunities have been created because of this initiative, with 800 ECDs receiving food aid.
Siyakholwa also runs community-based programmes in Gqeberha, Keiskammahoek, and East London.
