All the Programmes and Projects of SCKZN aim to address
rights and needs of the children of KZN. Where a right
is not being met and a resultant need becomes apparent,
SCKZN addresses the need as a short term response to
the situation and in tandem advocates for this right to be
addressed by the relevant authority that has responsibility
for doing so. Unfortunately, the necessary commitment,
capacity and caring to address these needs is more often
than not absent in the responsible body and the
programme or project needs to be sustained.
The following is an account of the Programmes for the
current year.
CRÈCHE PROGRAMME
Rights Addressed as per the UN Convention on the Rights
of the Child
Article 5: Parental guidance and the child’s evolving
capacities.
Article 18: Education.
Article 19: Protection from abuse and neglect.
Article 29: Aims of education.
Aim
To provide an effective platform through which community
and home based Early Childhood Development (ECD)
Services can be capacitated, share ‘good’ practices and take
collective action when required.
The Need
In excess of 92% of preschool children in KZN attend
unregistered ECD Centres. The extent of these community
and home based centres which meet such a real need is not
recognised by the responsible authorities and no assistance
is provided to them. Further, even those centres that have
attained the arduous requirements for registration are not
guaranteed of any further contact with or assistance from
the authorities.
Objectives
• To assist in the establishment and/or sustaining of Area
Based Crèche Forums.
• To maintain a data base of the participating ECD Services
for both statistical and communication purposes.
• To facilitate the KwaZulu-Natal Crèche Forum: a
coordinating platform for the Area Based Crèche Forums.
• To continue to bring to the attention of the relevant
authorities the special needs of this sector.
Benefitting Communities 2010-2011
Within the eThekwini Municipality are the following areas:
Bluff; Cato Manor; Chesterville; Clairwood; Clermont;
Dassenhoek; Durban Central; Hammersdale; Inanda; Isipingo;
KwaMashu; Lamontville; Merebank; Mkhambathini;
Ndewedwe; Ntuzuma; Phoenix; Tongaat; Umbilo;
Umbumbulu; Umlazi; Verulam; Wentworth; and Wyebank
In the wider KZN: Highflats; Howick; Ixopo; Mandeni;
Maphumulo; Mpangeni; Newcastle; Nongoma; Nqutu; Paul
Pietersburg; Phungashe; Pietermaritzburg; Port Shepstone;
Umkomaas; Umzinto; and Umzinyathi.
Outcomes and Outputs
• SCKZN’s hands on contribution to the establishment of
Area Based Forums has this year concentrated on the
South Durban Basin (SDB) Area of the eThekwini Unicity.
Activities have included:
- Serving on the ECD Steering Committee for the SDB
– attending meetings, sharing knowledge and
participating in ECD specific workshops.
- In conjunction with Phakama Consulting,
establishing and co-chairing the Wentworth Crèche
Forum. This Forum is being used to develop a
‘model’ for the setting up of other area based crèche
forums. The process is being documented and an
implementation kit produced.
- In conjunction with Phakama Consulting,
establishing the Lamontville Crèche Forum.
- Undertaking a road by road and door to door survey
in both Wentworth and Lamontville to identify the
exact number of ECD Services operational in each
area.
• A road by road and door to door survey of ECD Services
was also undertaken in the Cato Manor area.
• The data base of community and home based ECD
Services has been made available on request.
• Facilitating meetings of the Association of KwaZulu-
Natal Crèche Forums on which 27 area based Forums -
reaching a conservatively estimated 810 crèches and
24 300 young children – are represented. ‘Good
Practices’ that have been shared through this Forum have
been captured.
• The information obtained though the various surveys, as
well as the specific needs of this sector, have been
brought to the attention of both the Provincial
Department of Social Development and the eThekwini
Unity.
• SCKZN has been an active participant on the ECD
Technical Committee of the KwaZulu-Natal Programme
of Action for Children of the Children’s Rights Desk of the
Premier’s Office.
• As a partner of Oxfam, SCKZN is also a member of the
ECD Advocating Together Group which they have
established.
• There is regular liaison with the SA Congress for ECD and
SCKZN provides administrative support to the Provincial
Chapter.
TRAINING PROGRAMME
Rights Addressed as per the UN Convention on the Rights
of the Child
Article 6: Survival and development
Aim
To ensure that young children are cared for at an ECD Centre
with which they are familiar and in which they feel safe and
secure.
The Need
Individuals who have established ECD Services do not
necessarily have the required training and knowledge to
manage these centres so as to ensure their success and
sustainability.
Objectives
• To provide training on the Unit Standards ‘How to
Manage a Small Scale ECD Service’ and ‘How to Manage
a Medium Scale ECD Service’, which are accredited by the
Education Training and Development Practices Sector
Education Training Authority as well as the South African
Quality Assurance Authority.
• To provide Support and Monitoring Workshops for
learners who complete the Medium Scale Training to
access whether they have been able to implement what
they have been taught, and to assist in addressing any
challenges.
Benefitting Communities 2010-2011
Accredited training was conducted in Central Durban,
Chatsworth, Hambanathi, Highflats, Mkhambathini, Phoenix,
Pietermaritzburg, Raisthorpe, Sayidi and Tongaat.
Support and Monitoring Workshops were held in the
eThekwini, Howick, Izingolweni, Phungashi and Vulindlela
areas.
Outcomes and Outputs
• 58 learners who completed the Small Scale Course were
deemed to be competent.
• 82 learners who completed the Medium Scale Course
were deemed to be competent.
• Support and Monitoring Workshops involving 91 learners
were held.
• The above training indirectly benefitted 6930 children.
• 340 learners are registered for training in 2011.
CARE PROGRAMME
Rights Addressed as per the UN Convention on the Rights
of the Child
Article 2: Non-discrimination.
Article 3: Best interests of the child.
Article 5: Parental guidance and the child’s evolving
capacities.
Article 6: Survival and development.
Article 7: Name and nationality.
Article 8: Separation from parents.
Article 18: Parental responsibilities.
Article 19: Protection from abuse and neglect.
Article 20: Protection of a child without family.
Article 24: Health and health services.
Article 26: Social security.
Article 28: Education.
Aim
To meet the needs of orphaned and vulnerable children,
during the period when their natural parents are no longer
able to do so, until the State assumes that responsibility.
The Need
Large numbers of children are taken in to ‘informal’ foster
care by caring members of their own community. Many of
these caregivers do not have the resources to provide for the
needs of these children until they are legally placed in care.
Objectives
• To meet the physical, social and emotional needs of
200 orphaned and vulnerable children who are in
‘informal’ foster care.
• To capacitate and provide support to the caregivers who
have taken these children into their homes.
• To facilitate the process of having these children placed
in permanent care.
Benefitting Communities 2010-2011
Dumisa, Highflats and eThekwini
Outcomes and Outputs
• Fifty children from Dumisa, 50 children from Highflats
and 100 children from eThekwini are supported at any
one time. Assistance includes a monthly food allowance;
school needs and equipment; access to health services
and treatment as required; life skills training; and support
and counselling.
• When a child is placed in ‘formal care’ they exit the
programme and another child is taken on. 40 children
exited the programme during this period and another 40
have been taken on.
• With funding from Save the Children Sweden the
challenges faced by both the caregivers and children in
achieving ‘permanent care and social support’ has been
researched and these findings and challenges will be
presented to the relevant authorities and, in particular,
the Department of Social Development.
HOUSING PROGRAMME
Rights Addressed as per the UN Convention on the Rights
of the Child
Article 27: Standard of living.
Aim
To utilise the provisions contained in legislation around
‘Special Needs Housing’ to provide additional bedrooms and
ablution facilities in the homes of community caregivers who
are caring for orphaned and vulnerable children.
The Need
The physical space and essential facilities in the homes of
community caregivers is always impacted on when
additional children are taken into the family. Initially 13
caregivers and 39 children, and now a remaining 8
caregivers and 26 children in the eThekwini Region, are part
of a Pilot Project involving the Department of Human
Settlement (DoHS), the Built Environment Support Group
(BESG) and SCKZN to address the situation. In 2009, the
DoHS agreed to the project and released the funds.
Objectives
• For SCKZN to monitor that the caregivers and children
are still eligible to participate in this Programme.
• For BESG to Project Manage the construction works.
Benefitting Communities 2010-2011
Homes in various suburbs of eThekwini.
Outcomes and Outputs
Due to a lack of capacity and commitment within BESG to
date – and despite the Programme having been started 10
years ago - construction work has not started.
SKILLS PROGRAMME
Rights Addressed as per the UN Convention on the Rights
of the Child
Article 18: Parental Responsibility.
Article 27: Standard of living.
Aim
This Programme has two focus areas:
- To provide training in craftwork for parents; and
- To provide training on Food Gardening and the
Nutritional Needs of Young Children for cooks and
gardeners at ECD Centres.
The Need
Many parents and caregivers do not have adequate financial
resources to support their families or the children in their
care. To enable them to supplement their income, training is
provided in skills that can be used at home to produce goods
or offer a service from which they can
generate an additional income.
The nutritional needs of young children are addressed by
training the cooks and gardeners at ECD Centres in
vegetable gardening, the value of certain food types and
best methods of preparation.
Objectives
• To provide skills training sessions utilising the SCKZN
Training Centre.
• To assist with marketing the goods produced.
• To take the training of cooks and gardeners out to
various communities.
Benefitting Communities 2010-2011
Adams Mission, Durban Central, Folweni, Harding,
Hammersdale, Highflats, Ixopo, Izingloweni, Port Shepstone
and uMizinto
Outcomes and Outputs
• A donation was received of four new sewing machines.
• Skills training included a group of foreign nationals
identified by Refugee Social Services.
• Various outlets were successfully used for the selling of
items produced – various ‘Open days’, Decorex KZN and
the Essenwood Market.
• Use was made by parents and caregivers of the facilities
in the SCKZN Training Centre.
• 146 cooks and gardeners were trained during this period.
CASNET
Over the past year, SCKZN has continued to provide a
coordination and secretarial role for the KwaZulu-Natal
Chapter of CASNET.
CASNET is the National Caring Schools Network and is run
under the auspices of Save the Children United Kingdom,
South Africa Programme. The purpose of CASNET is to improve
the wellbeing of children by building caring school communities.
The Group strives to contribute towards building a child-friendly society in which there is quality intervention of integrated and
comprehensive care and support for vulnerable children in
schools.
Eight KZN Chapter Committee Meetings were held. These
included strategic and quarterly planning meetings and two
meetings with the MEC for Education and relevant staff
from his Department. The Chapter was also represented at a
Gala Dinner hosted by the MEC.
The Chapter organised a workshop around the theme
‘Journey of Hope’, at which children played a key role.
Members of the Chapter, including staff of SCKZN, attended
two National CASNET Meetings, both on the theme of
positive discipline, and on returning to KZN rolled out the
information that had been shared. The Chapter also actively
participated in a research exercise, undertaken by National
CASNET, into positive discipline and corporal punishment.
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