Serious about early childhood learning
Ché Clarke's passion for serving Jesus and making Him known to others and her desire to see children brought up in the way of the Lord has resulted in her helping others to teach young children.
She offers training in early childhood development (ECD) to preschool teachers, parents and others who work with children.
She works for the Growing Hope Foundation NPO, which is the social responsibility arm of the church, Every Nation Mossel Bay.
Growing Children is a project of Growing Hope.
Qualified teacher
Ché is a qualified teacher, a certified Isivuno trainer and a certified National Curriculum Framework (NCF) trainer, as well as a certified facilitator.
She also has an Honours degree in Theology. She was a teacher for a number of years and has worked in the field of education for a total of about 23 years. She also worked in part time ministry prior to this current role.
Ché is a committed member of Every Nation Mossel Bay, which is part of a worldwide network of churches, and besides the work she does for Growing Children, she serves as a leader in the church wherever she is able, including in the church's worship team, playing bass guitar.
Challenges
Offering ECD training has its challenges. Ongoing needs Ché experiences are for: helpers and assistance during the training sessions, stationery and resources, her transport costs, finding venues at a reasonable cost, sponsorship for trainees, marketing and publicising the value of the training and drawing enough trainees to make it worthwhile to hold each training programme.
The big, happy smiles of trainees after the courses speak a thousand words. The courses are highly practical, with training resources provided. Photographs of attendees show them actively engaging and interacting during the sessions.
Three training programmes
This year, so far, Ché has provided three training programmes.
The three took place in Sonskynvallei from 12 to 16 February, in Mossel Bay from 26 February to 1 March and in Brandwag from 11 to 15 March.
In total 29 women were trained in these sessions: nine in Sonskynvallei, 13 in Mossel Bay and seven in Brandwag.
Growing Children offers a non-accredited course of five days' Isivuno training in ECD. This is aimed at those who are ECD teachers or assistant teachers, parents and anyone interested in working with children. Anyone 17 years and older is welcome to attend.
Lesson plans
Ché says: "The trainees get a full year's lesson plans that are biblically based and a few other resources.
"The training covers integrating the Bible into education, school administration and finance, assessment, discipline, early learning development areas (ELDAs), educational resources, safety, health care, obstacles to learning, parental involvement and more. The training is in line with the new requirements set out by the Department of Basic Education (DBE)."
Growing Children also offers a short-term accredited course and a long-term accredited course.
The courses are all reasonably priced to make them accessible to people.
Ché notes: "Many of the trainees did not complete school and thus did not have the opportunity to further their education. The non-accredited training provided them with knowledge to work with or handle children aged two to six
(preschool).
Child's development
"There are many aspects of a child's development that the trainees now understand.
"They can use this new knowledge with their own children and those in the community too.
"Many of the trainees were afraid to start a school as they thought they could not afford the resources. This training teaches them to make their own resources from recyclable material as well as getting the surrounding community involved in the school."
Register school
Ché also points out: "To register a school with the Department of Social Development and the Department of Basic Education (DBE), certain criteria must be met.
"This training helps the teachers with a curriculum and a few administrative requirements.
“There is a National Curriculum Framework (NCF) training course that I offer to all preschools and this teaches the teacher how to use the Early Learning Development Areas (ELDAs) as given by the DBE. This is training that the DBE
requires each teacher to attend."
This year the trainees ranged from 17 to 39 years of age, Ché says.
Venue sponsored
She is grateful to have been able to use a venue sponsored by a hotel in Mossel Bay.
"The training programmes in Sonskynvallei and Brandwag were both in collaboration with Mossel Bay Municipality, which provided the community halls as venues as well as coffee and tea. The municipality and E-Centres in both areas were of tremendous help in mobilising people to attend the training. Most of the trainees were unemployed," Ché notes.
"Many of the women met the requirement to study the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) ECD level 4 course. It is a Sector Education and Training Authority (SETA), Quality Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO) accredited national certificate.
Minimum level
“This is the minimum level required to teach in a preschool. They will be accredited by Training Answers, but the training modules will be facilitated by me, as the accredited facilitator of Growing Children."
If you are interested in the five-day Isivuno training, the four-day NCF training or the NQF-accredited course, contact Ché.
She says: "I will be doing outreaches to schools in the near future."
Growing Hope would value greatly any support people can give. If you are able to support Growing Hope or its Growing Children project, contact Ché (082 567 1739 or che@growinghope.co.za) during business hours.