Mamelodi's early learning centres transformed
Originally published on 14 October 2024
In Mamelodi township, a project is bringing new hope to early childhood development centres. Ranyaka Community Transformation, with Nedbank’s Proud of My Town initiative, is showing how fixing spaces can create better futures for young children.
What was the problem?
Many early childhood development centres struggle because they don’t have enough resources. In Mamelodi, centres faced problems like poor buildings, not enough learning materials and staff who needed training. Parents often couldn’t afford fees, making it hard for centres to improve. Without quality early childhood development, children’s long-term success can suffer.
How did they fix it?
Ranyaka worked with Nedbank’s Proud of My Town initiative to support early childhood development centres in Mamelodi. They trained staff, improved food access and renovated spaces through the Fix Your Space project.
So, how did they do it?
Training staff: Ranyaka trained early childhood development staff in first aid, fire safety, financial skills and digital design. This helped them manage centres better and create fun learning materials.
Improving nutrition: Many families struggle with food shortages. Ranyaka gave seedlings for food gardens and vegetables from local farmers to ensure children had healthy meals. Early childhood development leaders also learned to grow tomatoes in vertical gardens for small spaces.
Renovating spaces: After workshops with 35 early childhood development leaders, Ranyaka chose four centres that needed urgent repairs. With funding from Nedbank, they worked with local handymen and artists to improve these centres.
Making centres better: Renovations included painting, colourful wall art, fixing a broken carport, adding artificial grass for play areas and donating tables, chairs and puzzle mats. One centre received a Jojo water tank to save water. New signs were added to attract more learners.
Quick results: The changes made a big difference right away. Bokamoso Day Care enrolled six new learners in two months after the upgrades and Ikuke Day Care gained four new learners in one month. Principals said the bright colours and fun spaces made children excited to come to school.
Acknowledgements
Author: Ranyaka
Original article: Fixing spaces – inspiring futures: How Ranyaka is transforming early childhood development in Mamelodi
Photograph: Ranyaka
Get your community involved
Is there a community-driven group or caring business in your area? A dedicated group of committed people can effectively solve local problems.
Think about starting or joining community groups like a street WhatsApp group, residents' association, or community policing forum (CPF) to get help and to stay informed and involved in local issues.
How to set up a community group
How to start a residents' association
How to set up a community policing forum
How to set up a neighbourhood watch
How to organise community action
How to use media to create pressure for change
Know your rights – how local government works
It’s important to understand how your local government works so that you can work with them to support what they are doing while your community continues to keep them accountable and deliver services on time. Remember you have a constitutional right to many of the services provided by local government, as well as to accountability and transparency, wherever you live and regardless of how much you earn. It is also where money collected from taxes and rates goes.
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