IsiXhosa Pre School Project, Funimfundo, (seeking knowledge) situated at the Die Kop Informal Settlement on the outskirts of Stanford. Project administered by NGO Food 4 Thought.
Our aim is to provide pre-school care and education for children from the impoverished community in Stanford. Our facility provides transport, education, care, safety, nutrition, health monitoring, and family involvement for children. Our facility provides transport to 30 IsiXhosa children from Thembeleshle township Stanford up to Die Kop.
On conducting a survey in 2003, it was realized that there was an urgent need for a pre-primary school in Stanford that would cater to IsiXhosa speaking children. It is recognized that disadvantaged school beginners battle to make the grade and that teenagers have a markedly better chance of fitting into society if they have had affection and recognition of worth in their formative years. Pre-primary education is the ground work for informed choices in adulthood.
In 2004 our first school was opened, Funimfundo (seeking knowledge), adjacent to the informal settlement, Die Kop. Die Kop is situated 5km outside the village of Stanford and Funimfundo currently caters for 55 children. 80% of our children are transported by school kombi to the pre-school from the village and the other 20% live in the informal settlement.
Food 4 Thought currently employs a headmistress/teacher, two additional teachers, a cook and a school kombi driver. In addition, a book-keeper is paid a nominal monthly sum for maintaining the financial records.
Six years ago a second-hand School Kombi was purchased to ensure the safe transportation of our children to and from school. Our Kombi has worked very hard and the engine maintenance is now starting to cost us money so we have made a New Kombi our number 1 priority on our school Wish List for 2013.
Due to successful fundraising events, projects such as our thriving vegetable garden was layed out and planted and our playground area expanded with new play apparatus added. We have renovated old bathrooms to new and have just completed the addition of a brand new Grade R classroom.
According to a recent survey conducted by the Overstrand Municipality, Funimfundo Pre School is the best run pre-school in the Overstrand.
Funimfundo is a success story and a project well worth visiting.
Food 4 Thought is a conduit for Funimfundo and a registered section 21 company, no. 003/019405/08, a non-government organization and an association not for gain.
"It is our adult responsibility to give children futures worth having" Graca Machel Mandela
