The Jujuhra Education Centre, which opened in June 2009, has been offering excellent early childhood development (ECD) education to the children of Nqileni Village, library services, an after-school programme and, over the past year, formal training for ECD practitioners in NQF level 4 training.
Following the success of the Jujurha Preschool, in its delivery of world class education, the communities of the neighbouring Mgojweni, Folokwe and Tshezi villages approached us, at the Bulungula Incubator, about developing these services in their areas. After a meeting held in November last year, it was decided that the community members would provide as much of the infrastructure and labour as they could while training would be done at the Jujurha Education Centre.
By December the first community planning meetings had been held, all three villages had chosen their preschool sites and Homechoice, a new funding partner, had very generously offered financial support for the project!
It was decided that the first site to be developed would be in Mgojweni Village. As soon as the Jujuhra Preschool teachers got back to work in January this year, detailed planning began in earnest: the Mgojweni community chose the teaching, gardening, cleaning and other staff that will be employed at their Preschool. Peter and Nomfundo, who run the Community Work Programme (the CWP, which is funded through government’s Expanded Public Works Programme) at the BI, developed the budgets for running costs and Xolisa, one of the teachers at Jujurha Preschool began to put together the onsite training and Preschool set-up programmes for the new teachers.
So it’s been all systems go and there is plenty to do to get ready! At this stage we hope that the Mgojweni Preschool will open its doors by 1st June this year. If all goes well, we will then be able to move onto sites at Tshezi Village and then Folokwe.
New window frames being carried into the hut donated by the community for the Preschool
Participants from the CWP leveling what will be the Preschool play area
wooow, am so excited about this project. Well done to Rejane and her BI staff for this wonderful achievement, I know it was not easy with all the challenges encountered but hey you made it happen to all the future leaders of Mgojweni. Amaqobo namaqobokazana angalala endleleni yazi kunyembelekile!!!!!!!!!