Sikhula Sonke Early Childhood Development

Just a reminder - our giftwrapping teams are waiting to wrap all your Christmas presents for you at Melody Walk, Somerset, Parow, and Stellenbosch Malls! Support Sikhula Sonke and enjoy handing over beautifully wrapped gifts to your friends and family.

Meeting Santa in Tygervalley

Christmas came early to 24 of our young learners thanks to generous partners this year!

Meeting Santa in Tygervalley Thank you to Tygervalley Mall for treating 24 of our children from the outreach programmes to a visit to Santa's Grotto today. The children happily discovered escalators, beautiful shops, met Santa...

Reconciliation Day fosters unity and reconciliation - and what better cause to unify around is supporting, protecting and caring for our children? Our latest newsletter celebrates fathers spending time with their children, children learning and growing, caregivers, parents and teachers supported, even high schoolers caring about pre-primary schoolers. As we end this year, our hearts are full.

Tagging Wynberg Girls' High School Famsa Nanny 'n Me Breadline Africa Book Dash ForAfrika Community Chest of the Western Cape - thank you!

Throwback Thursday! This time last week our teams came together to enjoy lunch and mark the end of 2022. It's been a full year and as we took time together, we were reminded of the privilege of who we work with.

Thank you to Community Chest of the Western Cape for your wonderful donation of books which will help us to improve literacy in Khayelitsha.

Thank you Allan Gray Orbis Foundation for the amazing donation of computers for our training centre. Excited at new opportunities for 2023!

Famsa, in partnership with Sikhula Sonke, hosted an event for our caregivers about the "16 days of activism for no violence against women and children" campaign. Discussions were about Gender Based Violence and other relevant issues to our Khayelitsha communities.

Thanks to South African Police Service, R**e Crisis Cape Town Trust and Simameleni for joining us in this amazing awareness. intervention.

Gift wrapping has started - support Sikhula Sonke by having your gifts wrapped at Melody Walk, Somerset, Parow, and Stellenbosch Malls.

Thank you Wynberg Girls' High School for generously putting together food parcels for families in Khayelitsha before school closed for 2022. We are very grateful for this partnership and wish staff and teachers a rest- and joy-filled festive season and holidays.

These are great activities for the holidays and a surprising side benefit - they calm wild kids down because of the effect of touch! Try them out.

"💪Proprioception is our muscle and joint sense, it tells us where your body is in space. Proprioceptive input is any activity that provides deep pressure to your muscles and joints and/or provides resistance through pushing and pulling activities.

🌟Proprioceptive input is very calming and regulating, it gives a sense of control to recognize your body sensations. These activities are useful to implement throughout the day to encourage a regulated nervous system.

➡️Many of these activities are also referred to as “heavy work”.

🗣Every child will respond to these activities differently, try them out and see which ones work best for your child. Don’t forget to join in, these are great for you too!

Here they are:

1. 🌮Blanket Roll-So many variations can be made with this. Roll your child up tightly in a blanket pretend they are a taco, burrito, caterpillar, present, etc.

2. 🌉Pillow Crawls-Lay some pillows across the floor and have your child crawl across pretending you are crossing a bridge

3. 🦀Animal Walks-Pretend to be various animals (bear, crab, frog, rabbit, dog, alligator, etc.)

4. 🧺Laundry Basket Push-Push a laundry basket across the floor filled with clothes, stuffed animals, toys, or a sibling!

5. 👩🏼‍🍳Baking-Mix, roll, scoop, etc., when baking

6. 🧼Cleaning-Give your child a spray bottle with vinegar and clean the windows, surfaces, or appliances (for younger children just use water)

7. 🥖Kneading Dough-Play with play-doh, make bread, tortillas, or pizza doh

8. 🧹Mopping/Sweeping/Vacuuming-so much good heavy work here!

9. ✨Pillow Squishes-Have your child lie on the floor and give them pillow squishes on the body. Then see if they can crawl out.

10. 🦵Rolling Pin Body Rolls-Roll a rolling pin on each other's body. To make it softer you can duct tape a towel around it.

11. 🏃🏽‍♀️Pillow Crashing-Jump and crash into a pile of pillows

12. 🥨Smoothie & Crunchy/Chewy Snacks-Drink a smoothie with a straw or eat a crunchy or chewy snack."

~ on Instagram

Congratulations to the 25 graduates of our ECD Basic Training - a one year course that has practical and theoretical components. May you become ECD champions, change makers and educators of excellence!

Nontuthuzela Luzishe, Nomvuyo Gwarube, Mkhenku Nomabhaso, Malololo Noluthando, Mutikoti Noria, Manxiwa Busiswa, Mpeto Alungile, Konzani Nandipha, Mahaluba Ntombekhaya, Ellen Mohlokoane, Linia Maravani, Nobhongwana Nokonwaba, Athi Mangwana, Zukile Ndzconga, Mhlanga Khululeka, Buti Unathi, Mabita Nosibulele, Vali Nompumelelo, Vuza Nolufefe, Mbuya Anelisa, Mjojeli Nolwando, Wana Bongiwe, Yukuthwana Noluthando, Sqangwe Anelisiwe and Vumazonke Nomaphelo - we are so proud of you.

A highlight at the end of every year is the final outing for our Emthonjeni Outreach programme children. This year we took the children to Muizenberg's public swimming pools on a lovely summer's day. There was much splashing and fun, a picnic lunch and as we returned to Khayelitsha, lots of yawning and tired smiling faces. Outings like these expose children to new experiences, widen their worlds and give them opportunities to learn more about the city in which they live.
Thank you to our team and helpers for making this a day to remember.

It's our end of year beach outing for the Emthonjeni outreach programme children today. Pics to follow...

Wow! Phelokazi!

A big shout out to Gcogco Clothing Studio who made Graduation Day extra special for these 3 young girls from our Emthonjeni outreach programme. Gcogco designed these beautiful dresses at her design studio and donated them to the girls.

Thank you for showing these lovely young ladies so much love!

It's 'the most wonderful time of the year'! Graduations happened this morning for children from the outreach programmes and some of the ECD centres. Well done to the children! Thank you to the teachers who worked so hard all year to prepare the children to enter primary school. We salute you!

Observing World Children's Day

It was World Children's Day on Sunday - Sikhula Sonke released a media statement today.

Observing World Children's Day This year marks the 68th year that World Children’s Day has been celebrated across the world. On the 20th November we celebrate and honor children, but today, as adults, caregivers, parents and...

To all who support ForAfrika - thank you! Our children are among the many in South Africa who rely on this nutritious meal each day to build strong healthy bodies.

Receiving nutritious food at home is not always possible for many children across South Africa. Receiving a daily school meal means better physical and mental development, which leads to more capable and well-balanced adults in the future.

Did you know that a gift of R780 will feed a child in school for an entire year? That’s only R65 per month!

This Christmas, give a child hope for a brighter future - your contribution counts.

Donate today by clicking the link: https://www.forafrika.org/za/get-involved/campaigns/feed-a-child-this-holiday-season/

Breadline Africa opened a new classroom for Nikithemba Educare and also handed backpacks with books inside thanks to Book Dash. The children from our outreach programs were also privileged to receive the backpacks as well as some ECD Centres that we work with in Khayelitsha. Thank you Breadline Africa and Bookdash for your generosity!

Did you know Santa's helpers get training in how to wrap gifts of all shapes and sizes? And that some of our staff are giving Santa a hand? You'll find our amazing team VOLUNTEERING at the Gift Wrapping tables in Somerset Mall, Parow Mall, Stellenbosch Mall and Melody Walk from 1-25 December. Pop past, get a gift wrapped for your loved one - and best of all, you'll be giving to Sikhula Sonke at the same time!

Congratulations to the fathers who completed a week of training with Famsa and Mikhulu Trust - you deserve your certificates!

The jungle gym and playpark at the Enkanini playgroup and toy library centre are rusting and have become hazardous to young children in this safe space. Our team is currently dismantling them.

If you have a passion for children, learning and play, and you would like to give a Christmas gift to the children of Enkanini who love playing here, this is a great opportunity to refurbish this play space.

Calling on the Good Samaritans out there! Please contact Sikhula Sonke at [email protected] if this rings your bell.

Each year Drive for Excellence holds their Charity Golf Day and three NPOs are selected as recipients of the Day. We are excited to announce that Sikhula Sonke was awarded R660 000 towards “Unleashing the Potential and Fostering Positive Community”!

Thank you to Drive For Excellence (and all their donors) for this prestigious award and for funding to continue supporting Khayelitsha’s children, parents and educators into 2023.

ForAfrika … you’ve done it again! Our hearts are full, and lots of tummies will be filled too. Thank you for the food drop today.

Thank you to our partner ForAfrika for the wonderful donation to the Outreach Programme families in K2 Section last week. Your generosity always amazes and humbles us!

www.sikhulasonke.org.za

We're delighted to share our Annual Report with you! Read it online and be encouraged that good things are happening in Khayelitsha.

www.sikhulasonke.org.za

It's been a busy week around Khayelitsha as Sikhula Sonke facilitators ran our last Family and Community Motivator cluster workshops for the year in different areas.
Yesterday we closed the Monwabisi Park parent cluster at Sikhula Sonke's offices. We also had an awesome book sharing session with fathers interacting with their young children. In addition, the Western Cape Department of Health came on board and immunized our children. Throughout this busy day it was a joy to see children enjoying themselves at our toy library.

Thank you to our village!

We have given our data- free website a facelift to make it easier for your to use it. Visit www.nalibali.org to find stories in 10 South African languages, tips +guides, training materials, reading club support and fun activities for your family.

Yoh, it was all happening in K2 Section yesterday: local parents and caregivers enjoyed a cluster workshop, children played and learned with our facilitators, and we had a wonderful visit from The Solon Foundation who recently made a huge contribution to child literacy. So much to be thankful for when we see what is on the go!

Over 1000 books! Thank to The Solon Foundation for giving a gift that never grows old.

And it's back to school after the holidays today! Wishing all of our Khayelitsha teachers and learners a wonderful last term of 2022.

Families whose houses burnt down at K2 settlements have received food parcels from ForAfrika, one of our major partners that oversees issues of health and nutrition amongst children. We are forever grateful for their continued support and the collaboration of the 2 organizations towards contributing on Sustainable Development Goals and National Development Policy.

To all the amazing, creative, humble, hardworking, passionate and persevering preschool teachers of Khayelitsha - happy teachers’s day. We see you!

Part 2 of our celebration was opening the play park we built for K2! Lots of excited children will learn, play and enjoy this safe play space with swings, jungle gyms and structures. We dedicate them in loving memory of Ntombikayise Nongogo, a little girl who tragically died in 2019 at the age of 5. 💕

It was such a joy to host our Annual Celebration in K2 on Wednesday with the parents, caregivers and community who live close to the Emthonjeni classroom we built earlier this year. You’ll notice we now have a roof creating a covered area for play, meetings and gatherings.
Tagging Scottie Dog Enterprises and The Solon Foundation 😊

Excited to celebrate today as we combine our Annual Celebration with the opening of a play area at K2!

Many colours, one nation. Our differences (languages, origins, interests and cultures) make a beautiful picture! Wishing you all a happy Heritage Day.