Communities we are involved in
Click on the name for more information on the project
Mbuba
Est. June 2008
- 254 children involved
- 13 abahambi
- 3 food gardens
- 1 toy library with toy librarian
- 1 community facilitator
Eshane
Est. Dec 2008
- 265 children involved
- 13 abahambi
- 5 food gardens
- 1 toy library with toy librarian
- 1 community facilitator
Matimatolo
Est. May 2007
- 203 children involved
- 10 abahambi
- 3 food gardens
- 1 toy library with toy librarian
- 1 community facilitator
Njengabantu
Est. Jun 2012
- 192 children involved
- 9 abahambi
- 7 food gardens
- 2 garden motivators
- 1 toy library with toy librarian
- 2 homework assistants
- 1 community facilitator
The Barracks
Est. Dec 2014
- 121 children involved
- 1 food garden
- 1 nutrition program
- 1 homework club facilitator
- 1 toy library
Components of our projects
Abahambi
(Singular = Mhambi)
- Translated from Zulu, this word means "those who walk/go".
- Trained ECD practitioners
- Visit the homes of children from the community they live in
- Facilitate play groups for children who are not enrolled in ECD centres
- Chosen by the community committee to work with their children
- Have a basic resource kit
- Supplement their kit from the community Toy Library
- Ensure a variety of age-appropriate resources and equipment which ensures ongoing stimulation and participation
- Run parenting workshops for caregivers in their communities
Toy Libraries
- Non-centre based ECD programme
- Stocked with games, books, puzzles and other resources
- Provide play sessions for children who don't have access to ECD services
- Lending service for parents and Abahambi
- Play-to-Learn training for parents
- We are part of the Toy Library Association of South Africa
- 5 Fixed toy libraries: Mbuba, Matimatolo, Njengabantu, Eshane, Barracks
- 2 Mobile toy libraries: Visit 20 different venues to provide play sessions and resources to areas far from the fixed toy libraries
Food gardens
Cluster gardens - Purpose: To ensure continual access to fresh vegetables for household consumption - Also for income generation if there is surplus in production - Contributes to food security: Fights to reduce malnutrition among our programme children - Gardened by caregivers of beneficiary families - Cluster is ten or more caregivers (mainly women) - Cluster garden is divided into individual plots - Each cluster member grows vegetables of her choice in her plot - Responsible for the maintenance of her plot - Currently 16 cluster gardens Community garden - Much larger co-operative garden - Beneficiary families work alongside other community members to grow vegetables Bag gardens - Gardened in bag - Kept and maintained at each household - Mostly for herbs and smaller vegetables
Community Management committees
- Made up of beneficiary caregivers and community gatekeepers
- The purpose is to co-manage the project with the community and also to prepare for the exit strategy
- Each committee consists of 7 members: 5 of them form the executive and 2 additional members
- Once committees are established, they are capacitated through governance workshops
- Workshops are aimed at improving management skills, accountability and various other skills needed to manage the project