The newly elected Khayelitsha Early Childhood Development Forum (ECD) committee has vowed to transform the forum and to ensure that the majority of the facilities are registered.
The committee was elected on Friday 24 June to lead for the next three years.
New forum chair and principal of Sunrise Educare Centre at BM informal settlement in Site B Ntombovuyo Lubisi said their mandate is heavy.
“It is not an easy task to lead the forum. But we believe with the assistance of our members everything is possible. Our mission is to take the forum to another level,” said Lubisi, adding that their aim is to see the forum in a better position when they leave office after three years.
She said their challenge is to ensure that the majority of their crèches are fully registered. She stated that almost half of their members are not fully registered with the City.
“We have about 252 crèches in good standing in the forum. There are crèches who are in the formal areas which most of them are fully registered because they are meeting the requirements. And there are those who are in the informal settlements who do not fully meet the requirements that are needed by the City.
“In most cases the crèches who are in the informal areas are unregistered,” explained Lubisi, adding that the certificate for fully registered centre is five years.
She stated that they will also ensure that all the teachers are fully trained and are suited to look after the children.
“We are working closely with the Ikamva Labantu Learning Centre, which is based at F section, and is assisting us by training our teachers. All our teachers are well trained,” she said.
Additional committee member and principal of Siyanga Educare Centre in Enkanini informal settlement Nomthandazo Makeleni stated that their main challenge is unregistered centres as they do not get a subsidy from the City.
“I’m one of those unregistered centres. I applied to the City in 2010, till now I’m still waiting. It is not easy to get a certificate, especially when you are in the informal settlements,” she said.
Makeleni stated that she has to rely on the fees to run the centre, but added that the City provides them with equipment.
“The City’s Department of Social Development gives us tables, mattresses, chairs and other things. They don’t give us money to buy food for children,”said Makeleni.