Nkqubela Crèche principal Margaret Nomalungelo Mtsele did some learning of her own recently when she spent two days at the Fledglings Educational Playgroup in Cape Town.
Kouga Wind Farm sponsored and facilitated her trip, which was aimed at assisting with her professional development as a local Early Childhood Development (ECD) practitioner. Margaret came away armed not only with knowledge and new ideas on how to develop young minds but also with great enthusiasm for the future.
Working with underprivileged children from KwaNomzamo in Humansdorp, Margaret believes they deserve the same chance at a good start to their educational life as children from more affluent schools in larger towns and cities.
“My aim is to bring what is done in towns to our rural community. And while there is still a long way to go, what I learnt in Cape Town certainly points me in the right direction. It was a truly fantastic experience, one which I am grateful to the Kouga Wind Farm for making possible,” she says.
Margaret spent her time observing and participating in the school day, interacting with staff and pupils, going through the curriculum and learning about school policies and schedules.
“I came away with a file of paperwork and a head full of wonderful new ideas for artwork, classroom planning and theme planning,” she smiles.
“I now understand how I can help with the children’s emotional, physical and educational development. But there is still a lot to learn, which I plan to do by visiting schools in Gqeberha to also study their early development programmes.”