Where our idea comes from

May 2016, a new journey in South Africa and a new book "A rainbow in the night" by Dominique Lapierre.

TThe book goes through anglo-boer war to the apartheid, focusing on Nelson Mandela and his colleagues of ANC. What captures our attention most is the character of Helen Lieberman, white doctor, who put at risk her life every day, lived close to black community. She's Ikamva Labantu founder at the end of '60. Ikamva Labantu is still working, despite it is almost unknown in Italy. Once landed at Cape Town in August 2016, immediately we met Ronell Jordaan, Fundraising & Communication Manager at Ikamva Labantu. Her enthusiasm and her commitment toward local communities living in the township of Cape Town was impressive.

The project

EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT

Ikamva Labantu is pioneer in the informal Early Childhood Development sector. It has estimated that are over 1.200 community pre-schools in Cape Town's disadvantaged areas, such as township and informal settlements. Of these, Ikamva Labantu supports approximately 400, reaching more than 20.000 children, aged 0-5 years, attending these pre-schools on daily base. The objective of Early Childhood Development Programme is to educate children to a healthy way of life, using sport as best mean to promote social inclusion, with the final goal to teach them the respect for others and the discipline. In this way, Ikamva Labantu can preserve children from the violence and delinquency, that are still bery frequent is some areas of Cape Town.

Run to Change shares and supports Ikamva Labantu's mission: 74 children aged 0-5 years can access pre-school of Kwakhanya, located in Khayelitsha, a big township in Cape Town, and make that schools self-sustainable.

For 75 Euro per month, a child has access to:

• Expert early learning development through Ikamva Labantu’s registered Learning Programme.
• Transport to and from the preschool, ensuring their safety and consistent attendance.
• Educational toys & consumables needed in the classrooms.
• Educational excursions during the school year.
• A Christmas event and graduation
• Health screenings – internal health screenings & interventions with further specialised screenings by the University of Cape Town’s SHAWCO Clinic.
• Access to Ikamva Labantu’s Family Services, which includes counselling and emergency food or resource relief.
• Daily nutritious meals & snacks – cooked on site by a dedicated cook.
• Experiential training and mentorship to another 70 teachers-in-training every year.

You can join us in this important project supporting Run to Change, also joining us at our future events. For further info about Ikamva Labantu's Early Childhood Development Programme, please download the original English version..