A local community activist hopes the launch of her new early-childhood development (ECD) centre in Retreat this week will foster positive change in her community and uplift youth there.
Named the Philisa Young Minds Academy (Pyma), based at the Philisa Abafazi Bethu Family Centre in Strauss Road, was unveiled on Wednesday 25 March.
The initiative was developed through a collaboration between Pyma, the Rotary Club of Newlands and Coca-Cola Peninsula Beverages, along with other community partners.
Philisa Abafazi Bethu (Xhosa for “Heal Our Women”) is a non-profit organisation (NPO) founded in 2008 by Lucinda Evans.
Based in Lavender Hill, it supports victims of gender-based violence, domestic abuse and children through safe houses, legal/counselling support and community empowerment.
The academy aims to provide a safe, structured and nurturing learning environment for young children, particularly those from vulnerable backgrounds.
In addition to early learning the centre will offer specialised support for children who have experienced trauma, helping to address the long-term effects of violence and instability often faced in surrounding communities.
The name Philisa means “ to bring to fruition,” reflecting the centre’s mission of nurturing young potential for a positive future reality.
The facility caters for 70 children between the ages of 3 and 5. Each child receives early-childhood education and two meals a day, ensuring both learning support and basic nutrition in a safe environment.
The centre has an estimated annual operational cost of R800 000.
At the launch Evans said she was thrilled to see her vision come to life and to curb issues such as bullying and abuse in the lives of the youth.
“We cannot lead if we haven’t served. We’re also going to have an early intervention programme where we particularly look at how can we address gender-based violence with three-year-olds. Naturally we’ve taught children ‘this is my body, don’t touch my body’, but we have not carried this message through in ECD centres, because at most ECD centres we are not paying attention to children’s behaviour.”
The initiative is also supported through a R99-per-month campaign to sustain community support for the academy.
Evans also dreams of launching a primary school one day.
“We also managed to get all our children in uniform and now all the children feel as one. They even wear black shorts, they do everything the same and this is how we want to benchmark, from the uniform to what they eat to how they play. There’s volunteer opportunities available if you want to share your gift, come and sign up.”
For more information contact Evans on 073 424 4665.
