Cape women up for awards

THREE Cape Town women identified as top Early Childhood Development (ECD) practitioners will be competing in the national Best ECD awards.

Caren Blaauw from White Dove Crèche in Velddfrift, Nozipho Ralarala from Blooming Stars Educare in Mfuleni and Thembekazi Ngxesi from Emthonjeni Project in Khayelitsha will be going head to head with regional winners from other provinces for titles in three categories.

White Doves will be battling it out in the Best ECD Centre in the rural areas, Ralarala will be competing for the title of Best ECD Practitioner, and Emthonjeni will be holding thumbs for the Best ECD Non- centre Based Programme.

The national awards ceremony will be held in Johannesburg this evening hosted by Minister of Social Development Bathabile Dlamini.

White Doves, a family crèche, that has been in the Blaauw family for more than three decades, will be competing against eight other ECD centres.

Principal Caren Blaauw said she was happy to take the crèche to greater heights.

Blaauw was only five years old when the crèche was established by her parents.

She said she had started as a cleaner and now ran the business.

The crèche had since grown, with more than 100 children registered and a staff of 50 people. –