Izak Mahali
The National War Memorial Health Foundation, a registered Association Not for Gain, was founded in 1946 as a living memorial to honour the 12 000 South Africans who lost their lives in World War II.
The foundation has for the past 76 years, in accordance with it’s manifesto and programme of principles, provided community assistance where needed to all people in the Western Cape with the emphasis on the development of children at preschool level enabling them to advance mentally, physically, spiritually and socially, integrating children with special needs or disability alongside their peers and preparing them to cope with their role as the adults of tomorrow.
The foundation has invested extensively in early childhood education for more than seven decades and has an immense footprint in socially marginalised and historically disadvantaged communities where we run early childhood centres.
As a result of the exponential drop in child attendances over the years, the executive committee, at a meeting in December last year, adopted a very decisive resolution, the closing of our Tafelberg Crèche.
The drop in child enrolment and loss of income from crèche fees resulted in the centre becoming financially unsustainable.
February 28 was an extremely sad day in the history of the foundation.
Tafelberg Crèche, which has been in existence for more than 60 years finally had to close its doors.
The centre started as the Silvertree Boys Club in District Six. All members of the Silvertree Boys Club and former club members offered their services free, digging, cutting, shovelling and slowly levelling their fields on a grant of Land in the heart of District Six.
The sportsfield provided a healthy outlet for the children of District Six.
It taught the boys and the community the value of self-help.
This centre, in the shadow of the mountain which was a beacon of hope and light for these children, came to an end.
We owe all those who made it possible and who contributed so generously to improve the quality of life of those families a debt of profound gratitude. Our efforts to enter into a joint venture agreement with the Western Cape Education Department to use Tafelberg as a centre where so many children with special needs can be accommodated, ended inconclusively.
However, we are committed to continue providing quality early-childhood education to all our children and to produce school leavers equipped either for further education or to enter the job market.
In spite of the difficult economic circumstances, the official opening of our new Ysterplaat Educare Centre in Brooklyn by David Maynier, Western Cape MEC for Education on September 3 last year was the culmination of a vision and dream come true.
The incremental drop in child attendances at our centres in Woodstock, Ysterplaat and Ruyterwacht is one of the foundation’s major concerns.
We need the support of government, business and civil society to make quality early-childhood education accessible to the estimated 1.3 million children reported in South Africa every year who do not attend an appropriate early learning programme.
We will remain resolute and passionate even in moments of discouragement and disappointment.
Mahali is the chairperson of the National War Memorial Health Foundation
Cape Times