Conquering early learning gap their goal
MORE than one million children in the country are at risk of missing early childhood developmental milestones.
This is according to The Unlimited Child, a non-profit organisation that focuses on equipping Early Childhood Development Centres (ECDC) with much-needed services and resources to provide early childhood education.
Recent research conducted by the South African Early Childhood Review indicated that 32% of Eastern Cape children between the ages of three and five did not attend any learning group programme.
It is for this reason that six South African adventurers will be undertaking to climb Ojos del Salado in Argentina and Chile, the highest active volcano in the world, to raise awareness on the importance of a pressing need for Early Childhood Education (ECE).
The volcano stands over 6 893m high with very dry conditions. Snow usually only remains on the peak during winter.
The expedition, which will take place between Monday to February 25, aims to help the organisation to reach its target of reaching out to 600 000 children at 5000 ECDCs by 2021.
The Durban-based organisation currently reaches out to 204 666 children from 1 365 ECDCs in Gauteng, the Eastern Cape, KwaZuluNatal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga and Western Cape by providing toolkits, practitioner guides, training for caregivers and conducting on the ground monitoring.
The Unlimited Child CEO Candice Potgieter said the number of children missing out on early childhood development was alarming.
“It is important that we understand how detrimental and dangerous the lack of early childhood education poses to the children of South Africa and the looming gap that is becoming more and more apparent and evident in the results we are seeing in recent literacy reports and the 2017 matric results.
“As a top priority to change this situation, the shareholders are actively demonstrating their commitment to this cause, and to raising funds for The Unlimited Child, by facing the dangers of this expedition,” she said.
In order to summit an active volcano, extensive preparation both physically and mentally was necessary, she said.
“One of the challenges the team face is a 20m gap that needs to be bridged, just before the summit.”
The brave climbers include Iain Buchan, a visionary entrepreneur who has conquered the South Pole and Antarctica’s highest peak, Mount Vinson, and Wallis Watt, the chairwoman of The Unlimited Child.
Also making the team is Ken Watt, a legal adviser; medical doctor and seasoned extreme adventurer, Dr Peter Berning; actor Clyde Berning and one of South Africa’s leading adventurers, Sean Wisedale. —