Scene 6: Meeting a New Potential Stakeholder

Background

While our group focused on building the temporary park elements by day, we were also working to network with various organizations which could help us build or support a crèche.  Another project centre team organized a meeting with the CECD and invited a member of our team to sit in on the meeting to develop a relationship with the organization, gather overlapping information, and schedule a meeting in the near future.

Cast of Characters

WPI Project Team Member: Sarah
WPI Kiddie’s Team: Julie, Katelyn, Mindy, Nick
CECD Director: Eric Atmore

Setting

Center for Early Childhood Development Main Office 28 Rosmead Ave, Claremont

Scene

Entering through the front gate of the Centre for Early Childhood Development, we found several cars parked outside, many with unique paint jobs, one representative of a children’s drawing.

The students and Eric Altmore

The students and Eric Altmore

In the reception area, we met Eric Atmore, a friendly, fatherly figure who, upon offering us tea or coffee, wouldn’t take no for an answer.  When the Kiddie’s team arrived, we all gathered in the table in Mr. Atmore’s office and the receptionist brought tea, coffee, water, and Cinnamon doughnuts.  We each introduced ourselves in turn and Julie explained the purpose of their visit and Sarah, in turn explained the purpose of ours.

Eric then took off, explaining the history of South Africa, and of the organization.  He explained about the nature of the situation in South Africa regarding wealth distribution, urban and rural bias, population age distribution, and the trouble with early childhood development that his organization seeks to help.  He gave us some insight into the type of work his organization does in both constructing new facilities as needed, and upgrading current facilities to meet the minimum state requirements for governmental funding. Since their founding, August 1st 1994, they have built approximately 30 structures and upgraded over 500!  They are currently constructing a shack in an informal settlement for R2.9 million featuring 5 classrooms for 25 students each, a kitchen, a store room, a play ground, a WaSH facility, and a parking lot.  While such a structure seemed unfeasible in Flamingo Crescent, the CECD may still be invaluable to our development of a crèche.

Reflection

This meeting was extremely important to our group because it provided us with an organization with which we can partner and create a plan for the construction of a facility within the year.  Not only can they plan the construction process, they can hire and architect to design the structure, find donors, train the teachers, and ensure that all state requirements will be met for the registration of the institution and facility for state funding to ensure sustainability.