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Prochorus | Playgroups Project
Playgroups Ministry
The Playgroups ministry was birthed out of the essential need still left, even though almost 40 proper crèches were established through our Creche Support Ministry.
Even with the crèches that were established, there were still a lot of toddlers on the streets, and in 2011, shocking statistics from the South African Police Services confirmed that at least one toddler was raped in Kayamandi every week! Most rape cases took place against the backdrop of the shack communities where parents are unemployed but not sufficiently watchful over toddlers playing amongst the shacks during the day. Parents might also leave toddlers with neighbours or irresponsible family members while going to find work or somewhere else.
This motivated Prochorus to start a playgroup for the toddlers of unemployed families in the community, to keep them safe and occupied in the mornings and to expose them to vital Early Childhood Development education.
Currently, there are two playgroups; one in Kayamandi called Siyanda which hosts 26 children, and another in Cloetesville called Little Builders, which hosts 21 children. The Playgroup principals and teachers have all received Early Childhood Development training, and some still attend regular training to maximise their skills. Prochorus’ Curriculum trainer, Faith Arrey, also oversees the day-to-day operation of the playgroups and the performance of the teachers. The playgroup operates from 09:00 – 16:00 daily from Monday to Friday. The children receive nutritious meals in the mornings and a well-balanced lunch consisting of protein, carbohydrates and vegetables in the afternoon. They also receive a snack before they go home in the afternoons.
The parents pay just a small monthly fee, which is merely a token of their commitment to the education of their child, and it allows for better value perception of the service we offer them. We also believe their contribution adds self-worth to the transaction.
We have been pleased to see the playgroups ministry become a successful and necessary tool in the community. The parents have confirmed on a number of occasions that their children have grown in many developmental areas and that their health has also improved due to the well-balanced and nutritious food that they receive at the playgroup during weekdays. A clear change for the better can be seen in the development of new children within a few weeks of them starting at the playgroup. Once the children successfully graduate from the Playgroup, they go to Gr.0 where they formally begin their school career.
We inform, assist and motivate the parents to ensure that the children continue and finish their education, as most of the parents are unemployed, uneducated and often do not believe that education is necessary. This is a difficult mindset to change, but we host regular parent meetings to encourage the parents to believe that their young children can become someone who can make a difference in society.
Since the Playgroups are heavily subsidized to accommodate the unemployed parents, we rely on sponsorships to run the facility. The shortfall after parent contributions is deducted amounts to R 550 per child per month. Our facilities offer a high level of education and individual attention while also doing much effort with the families to encourage them in many areas of their life, including spiritual matters.
Individuals or corporates can sponsor a child’s tuition, a teacher’s salary of about R 5000 on a monthly basis, or make a one-off donation.
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- Please note that an account will be created.
- You can use the account to manage current and future donations.