Sophy Maponya is a dream chaser. She struggled for over two years to get support to make her crèche, Boikhutsong Day Care Centre, a suitable place where children can learn. Her crèche, didn’t have the right sanitation, the right books and toys to stimulate the children and she also couldn’t provide proper nutrition for the children because of a lack of funds.
Another challenge that she faced was the lack of urgency in her community to send their children to an early learning institution. She felt that the parents of her small village, Nobody Thakgang in Limpopo, did not see the importance of education. But against all odds, Sophy was determined to change this mind-set and to get funding to make her crèche a suitable day-care centre that her village would be encouraged to send their children to.
Sophy, through great determination worked day and night to improve her crèche. She searched for funding until she was approached by one of HOPE worldwide SA (HWSA) staff, and everything changed. Through our ECD Centre Support programme, SUCCEED, in partnership with Makro, we were able to extend her centre, put in new toilets and paint her walls to be more stimulating to children.
“I am very excited and grateful for the mercy that HOPE worldwide SA has given us. You can see the joy on the children’s faces. This is why I can now say my dream has come true and now parents are registering their kids at our centre.” Words from a joyful Sophy, a crèche owner who had a dream to start a preschool in her community where young children had little access to early learning opportunities. HOPE shares her dream and was thrilled to partner with her in starting her centre and giving young children the best possible start in life.
We are in seven provinces: Gauteng, Free State, Kwa-Zulu Natal, Eastern Cape, Western Cape, Limpopo and Mpumalanga serving thousands of vulnerable children, households and communities.