Mission Statement

This project was intended to enhance opportunities for community and early childhood development in Flamingo Crescent, South Africa, by facilitating the design and construction of a community crèche and recreational area, and collaborating with the community to achieve, along with our partners and relevant stakeholders, a community managed crèche that is a model for the informal settlement upgrading process.

We pursued our mission through a set of complementary objectives that informed every aspect of our project:

Diagram Displaying Our Project Objectives

Recognize Context: Understand strategies for community development in low-income communities and explore the social context and history of Flamingo Crescent Informal Settlement.

Connect and Collaborate: Foster a healthy working relationship with, and gather first-hand insight from community members and all stakeholders to implement into plans and designs.

Plan and Design: Develop community-based crèche and playground designs to advance Early Childhood Development through collaboration with community members, stakeholders, and partners.

Construct and Improvise: Construct crèche and playground structures through an iterative adaptation process in order to meet the communities’ needs while adhering to the partners’ standards.

Budget and Manage: Create and frequently revise a financial plan, design, and schedule for the crèche construction process to accurately reflect the current construction status.

Facilitate Management: Educate the crèche staff and community on the necessary skills to create a sustainable savings and management system by convening a board, registering the crèche, and fundraising for contributions, materials, and expertise. 

Document and Advocate:Produce a long-term sustainable model for similar informal settlement upgrading projects through documentation such as detailed manuals and online resources.