Stimulus packages could keep ECD Centres alive

EARLY Childhood Development Centres (ECDs) provide a crucial lifeline for children in South Africa’s townships, where money is tight.

They provide a safe space for young children while their parents go out to work, offer an early education and are often the source of the only decent meal many of those children will have all day.

Mostly owned and run by women as NPOs and micro-social enterprises, they provide jobs and an income for many adults in the community too.

And yet, the very existence of these ECDs is now under threat. Forced to close in March 2020 because of lockdown regulations, they’ve struggled to stay afloat despite the best efforts of operators, staff members, local communities and partner organisations.

With most ECDs in the townships operating on a shoestring budget at the best of times, continuing to pay salaries and meet operating costs during lockdown has proved too much for many.

For those who did survive until they were allowed to reopen on July 6 last year, the pressure has continued because of the costs arising from the strict protocols mandated by the government. They simply cannot afford the necessary health and safety equipment and many do not have the space to allow for the required social distancing.

A survey, conducted by Ilifa Labantwana, an organisation that works to secure early childhood development for all children in South Africa, highlights the risk of the loss of 100 000 jobs if ECD programmes are unable to reopen. This would further impact 1.8 million children who would otherwise enjoy the benefits of the ECDs.

Yebo Fresh is an online shopping service that delivers groceries to townships. Founder Jessica Boonstra explained their role during this crisis.

“We have partnered with NGOs and other organisations to provide food aid to vulnerable communities in South Africa. At the height of lockdown, and with the help of Ikamva Labantu, we fed an average of 40 000 people per day.”

Breadline Africa, a Cape Town organisation, providing initiatives and infrastructure to support childhood development, also runs feeding programmes with the support of organisations like Yebo Fresh.

The two organisations provide much-needed resources to ECDs and often advocate for them. Working at ground level as they do, they see firsthand the challenges experienced by the centres and the communities they serve.