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Ilifa Labantwana (Ilifa) is a national Early Childhood Development (ECD) programme, initiated and supported by a donor partnership that aims to provide implementation evidence, build national capacity and galvanise informed political support for the provision of quality ECD services at scale, with particular focus on the poorest 40% of the population from pregnancy to 6 years of age.
Bringing you updates from the field and the latest from the ECD sector!
Highlights from the North West
Ilifa’s interventions in the NW have gained momentum since signing of the new MOU. We have partnered with Cotlands to (focusing on non-centre based ECD service delivery) recruit, select and train of Early Learning Facilitators and ensure the implementation of Early Learning Playgroups, whilst our partnership with Ntataise to continue with the centre enrichment programme focusing on centre based ECD services continues.
A report was submitted to the DSD’s second quarter provincial review meeting today where the NW provincial Head of Department, Chief Directors, Directors and Deputy Directors gathered to review the performance of the DSD in terms of the annual overall performance plan, including its ECD goals. We hope both implementation challenges and achievements highlighted will pave the way for a stronger concerted effort to ECD service enhancement in the province.
In the coming weeks, we will host our NW Visualisation Workshop in line with our collaborative agreement with the North West Department of Social Development. Lessons learnt from the previously selected demonstration districts (Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati in Kagisano Molopo Service Point and Ngaka Modiri Molema Districts in Ratlou Service Point) will be shared provincially and plans charted for scale up in new areas.
Updates from KwaZulu-Natal
In partnership with the Ugu District Municipality, Ilifa hosted a consultation meeting this past Thursday in Port Shepstone on the issue of disability. Disability Champions from Umdoni, Umuziwabantu, Vulamehlo, Ezinqoleni, Hibiscus Coast, and Umzumbe municipalities as well as disability focal persons from the six Ugu district municipalities were present. The focus of the meeting was to share on Ilifa's work with specific regard to the Inclusive Education Project and to explore the role of various stakeholders, including the municipality, in working collaboratively to support children affected by disability and developmental delays in the province. A number of issues were highlighted, including the need to change attitudes to disability, raise awareness, and support families affected. Participants shared experiences endured including societal neglect and ostracisation as a result of having borne disabled children. The meeting further explored how ECD hubs can be supported, the role of disability forums and how they can be strengthened, and how support to children and families affected can be increased.
Highlights from Implementing Partners
The Sinovuyo Caring Families Project has started delivering parenting programmes to 90 families in Nyanga, Cape Town. They have entered week 2 in which parents learn how to wrap their children in language during special time so that they develop attachment and cognitive language skills. Ilifa has partnered the University of Cape Town and its collaborating partners to implement and test the Sinovuyo Caring Families Programme in the Western Cape. The Sinovuyo Caring Families Project focuses specially on the reduction of abuse and maltreatment of children in high-risk families in South Africa.
ECD Home Visiting Package
Ilifa is developing an open-source ECD Home Visiting Package for vulnerable pregnant women and children between birth and two years of age. In light of this, our curriculum development consultant, Lisa Cohen, has visited a number of home visiting programmes over the past few weeks to gather insights on the best ECD home visiting practices being implemented. Programmes scoped include the Family Literacy Project, the Early Learning Resource Unit, PATH, Ububele, Letcee, Khululeka, Early Inspirations, and Wordworks. Find out more about these incredible programmes/organisations here:
http://www.familyliteracyproject.co.za/
http://www.path.org/
http://www.ububele.org/
http://www.letcee.co.za/
http://www.khululeka.org.za/
http://www.earlyinspiration.co.za/
http://wordworks.org.za/
We have new additions to the team!
Sithembile Dube has recently joined the Ilifa team as the new Monitoring and Information Officer. She has a BSoc in Clinical Social work and has worked as a social worker in child protection with various NGOs. She obtained an MPhil in Programme Evaluation from UCT, elements of which focus on the design, evaluation and monitoring of projects. We’re thrilled to welcome her on board.
Rina Mehlomakulu has also recently joined the team as an Administrator supporting provincial implementation. She has a BAdmin and Postgraduate Diploma in Associate Management from UCT. She’s enthusiastic about ECD development in SA and we are thrilled to have her on board.
Upcoming Events
- CSI that works: ECD programmes and strategies that lay a foundation for success. Hosted by the FirstRand Foundation. 24 October 2014, Johannesburg. Sherri will be attending.
- The Essential Package and Parenting Dialogues, KZN 23 October 2014 & NW 13 November 2014. Please RSVP your participation in this Dialogue with Rina Mehlomakulu at rina@dgmt.co.za.
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PUBLICATIONS
Last week, we published the Lessons from the Field – TVET Colleges: Contributions towards HR Development in the Early Childhood Development Sector. If you have not yet sent us your feedback, comments and inputs, we would still like to hear from you.
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