Outcomes and Accomplishments

To achieve our project objectives, in collaboration with our partners, we utilised the framework of the crèche registration processes as our guide. We assisted the Little Paradise governing body to continue to complete the formal registration and simultaneously enhanced their business skills. Drawing on the foundational aspects of ‘Connecting and Collaborating’ and ‘Recognizing and Understanding’ as outlined in our objectives, we took steps to strengthen relationships among governing body members, strengthen the members’ organizational and business skills, and complete necessary steps in the registration process. Compare our Outcomes with the Objectives we set for ourselves here.

 Connecting and Collaborating

Our team established trusting relationships with the governing body by getting to know them on a personal level through fun and meaningful activities, while also sharing the hard work of the registration process. A critical part of developing our project was utilizing the network of organisations and resources available to the governing body, such as the CECD, Early Learning Resource Unit, and the South African Shack Dwellers International Alliance. Collaboration and constant communication with all involved was necessary to ensure everyone was on the same page and was important in guaranteeing all opportunities for improving the crèche were utilised. This was achieved through phone calls and texts, almost daily meetings, and emails.

 Recognizing Context

Through interaction with community members, we were able to garner an understanding of the challenges Flamingo Heights, and similar communities, face including educational opportunities, employment, government support, illicit activities, poverty, and crime. Walking through the community and speaking with its residents alludes to struggles of personal pasts and hard times that many experience. According to Cathy, the principal of Little Paradise, the most substantial issue facing Flamingo Heights is the “street mind-set” of some of its residents. She mentioned that many of the community members in Flamingo Heights once lived on the streets. Despite now having a more formal home through the reblocking process, some do not care for the house. This mind-set carries through to influence all aspects of the community. The streets are often filled with rubbish that is not picked up, and while there is general support of the crèche, there is much work to be done. A number of parents do not pay their crèche fees, withdrawing their children from the centre at the time of the month when payments are due.

Playing with the children was also a particularly meaningful part of our project. Developing relationships with the kids at the crèche was fun, enlightening, and brought to life the work we were doing. Celebrating the children, especially in visible ways, was an effective way to communicate with the community the value of the crèche and of early childhood development.

November 20^th is Universal Children’s Day recognized globally as a reminder of children’s rights. Arranging an event for this day provided an opportunity to bring the Flamingo Heights community together to remember that the children are why so much hard work and dedication is needed from the community to give them the best opportunities. Organising the event motivated the governing body. This event also brought about a potential future fundraising event and grew Little Paradise’s network of potential funders through invitations and thank you cards from donations.

Celebration

On December 11^th 2015, 10 children from Little Paradise Educare Centre graduated, ready to move on to primary school in January. There was a ceremony in the crèche for them to receive their certificates of achievement and get photographs taken with teachers and parents. This celebration brought parents together and gave them pride on how well their children were doing. This event showed how far Flamingo Heights had come in the early childhood development aspect by having their first graduating class of Little Paradise. This will hopefully be the first of many graduating classes.

Graduation

Initiating the Registration Process

During our time working with the governing body of Little Paradise Educare Centre, we have completed NPO Registration.

Partial Care Facility Registration was also started. To promote understanding and ensure completion of this process, we created a binder with the specific forms that need to be filled out and any additional steps necessary to continue with the registration. The CECD is available to help guide Little Paradise Educare Centre with the rest of registration as needed. The Early Learning Programme Registration has also been started with the help from Early Learning Resource Unit (ELRU).

Facilitating Sustainable Business Strategies

In order to enhance Little Paradise Educare Centre as an organisation, incorporating business strategies of the governing body such as budgeting, organization, and record keeping proved necessary. Establishing an email accounand setting up a bank account were two big accomplishments. A year-long budget for Little Paradise was also developed through a scheduled workshop our team organized and moderated. This document was critical for the management of finances and the establishment of relationships with potential donors. Together, we created templates for the documentation of financial records, agreed upon regular meeting protocols for the governing body, and reconstructed the operating procedures of the governing body to make the members more involved and the body as a whole more engaged.

Implementing and Securing Funding Options

In this present funding gap, from start-up to government subsidy, we searched for suitable funding opportunities. We worked with the governing body and drafted a financial proposal to WPI requesting funds for the crèche based on their budget. This same proposal can further be used when asking for donations from other organisations. The result of this proposal to WPI resulted in a donation of R10,000 that will be distributed over the next 12 months as long as the governing body continues meeting monthly, keeping track of expenses, and updating WPI on their registration process.

Implementation of the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) was also established through collaboration between our sponsor and another ECD non-profit organisation, Foundation for Community Work (FCW). EPWP is a governmental programme in South Africa available to provide unemployed individuals with temporary employment and skills development. This programme provided an opportunity to bridge the gap from crèche start-up to government subsidy, in which the governing body was struggling to establish a sustainable income to support the staff. Implementing EPWP helped bring our project full circle by generating paying jobs, lessening tension related to lack of finances, and creating an opportunity to increase community involvement with ECD by incorporating both nutritional and community outreach positions.

Facilitating Management

An effective and successful governing body is directly related to the success of the crèche as they are the ones ensuring how the facility is run, handling business logistics and taking care of other behind-the-scenes aspects that generally go unnoticed. The governing body became an established organisation through creating a constitution and redefining their roles. Our team organized and moderated a workshop for the governing body to these develop and implement logistics. Team building was essential to creating a trusting relationship within the governing body and maximizing their effectiveness of working together. Activities like Leading the Blind and Let’s Play Zoo encouraged collaboration in a fun and enjoyable way. Increasing transparency between the governing body and parents with open, scheduled meetings was also a major goal they set for themselves.

Signing the Constitution

 Documenting Crèche Resources

Through documentation of all of the items we created to further progress in the registration of the crèche, our team helped generate a sustainable model for ECD centre registration.

We edited and reconstructed ECD Information Pack, a guide for crèche development, initially developed by past WPI projects and through close collaboration with the CECD. This document guides crèches from start-up to formal registration/subsidy with a checklist of critical steps, business tactics, and example templates.