Early Childhood Development
Building tomorrow’s leaders through Early Childhood Development
The first five years of a child’s life shape their future learning, behaviour, and health. Yet our young children in townships lack access to nurturing ECD Learning Centres during this critical development phase.
Experiential training for ECD principals and teachers in townships
Ikamva Labantu pioneered experiential hands-on training for ECD principals and practitioners, as a scalable way to grow quality preschools in communities that need them most.
At the heart of the programme is the Kwakhanya Training Centre, based in the same township context where principals and teachers work with an on-site model preschool. When principals and teachers return to their own centres , they continue receiving in-person support from trained community-based workers.
Our ECD programme components
Comprehensive experiential training
In partnership with the Department of Social Development, we provide:
- One-year ECD training programme
- Hands-on learning through classroom observation, practice teaching sessions and curriculum planning workshops
- Practical skills for principals and practitioners through direct experience, mentoring and collaborative learning
On-site model preschool
Our model preschool, Kwakhanya in Khayelitsha, demonstrates best practices in early learning. Here, children aged 0-5 receive nurturing care while practitioners observe and learn effective teaching methods.
“Kwakhanya Educare has helped us so much. I didn’t pay for the creche and transport for Liqhawe for 5 years. The food was also provided for them. I am so grateful and thankful for what they did for us who didn’t have means for our children’s early learning” – Nomthandazo Caroline Ngqeza, grandmother
ECD registration helpdesk
Our dedicated ECD registration helpdesk guides principals in meeting compliance standards and accessing government subsidies. With parents struggling to pay school fees, the subsidies are essential for building sustainable ECD Learning Centres that offer quality education.
We provide:
- Ongoing mentoring throughout the registration process
- Infrastructure assessment and recommendations
- Assistance accessing vital government subsidies
- Document preparation and submission support
- Health and safety requirements guidance
Small business training for principals
ECD Principals are not educators; they are entrepreneurs who run social businesses. Over the years, the outcomes are clear – providing small business training for the principal strengthens the entire ECD ecosystem.
ECD Training for Principals includes:
- Developing effective business and marketing plans
- Creating sound financial management systems
- Implementing proper budgeting practices
- Generating additional income streams
- Ensuring long-term centre sustainability
Our Impact
Ikamva Labantu’s ECD Programme seeks to strengthen the entire ECD eco-system, and to be scaleable so that as many children as possible can access quality ECD education to build the foundations for their futures. By combining theoretical training with hands-on experiential trainining, in the same challenging township communities that our principals and teachers work in, our training is effective and life-changing.
Training
Every year, around 90 Principals and Practitioners graduate
Every year, those graduates help provide over 2 000 children with access to improved ECD education
Registration
Every year, between 380 and 400 preschools access support towards achieving registration
Every year, around 50 preschools are registered through the ECD Registration Helpdesk
Children Benefit
Every year, more than 21,500 children in townships benefit from Ikamva Labantu trained teachers and principals
Every year,around 80 vulnerable children access our model ECD preschool
How you can help
Over 90% of our staff live in the communities we serve - every cent stretches further! This means you can make a real difference.
Help build a better future — give children a strong start and help elders live in health and companionship. Every cent counts, monthly or once-off.
Make your next birthday extraordinary — ask friends to donate toward someone’s future instead of giving gifts. You can still have cake!
Your legacy shapes the future. Leaving a gift in your Will costs nothing now but helps the youngest and oldest in our townships for generations to come.
For Strategic Funding Partners
Our Brand Partners and Corporate Investors build their strategic impact-delivering portfolio, while helping build South Africa’s future:
- Convert your budget and resources into quantifiable, real social impact
- We do the work - there is little time commitment for your team, as we deliver the project and robust reporting
- If you'd like to be more involved - we also welcome co-creating meaningful, high-impact initiatives such as team-building days or supplying corporate gifts through our social enterprise.
We are a Level 1 B-BBEE partner and we are a registered PBO - donations exceeding R100 per annum are tax-deductible in South Africa, under Section 18A of the Income Tax Act.
Contact info@ikamva.co.za or call +27 (0) 21 461 8338