BY OBAKENG MAJE
The dream of two women from Kgakala township outside Wolmaranstad became true when the authorities unveiled the plaque to mark the official launch of ‘Re a Bopa’ state of the art learning centre on Tuesday.

Adeline Polela and Florence Monageng took an initiative to address the plight of children roaming the streets at the township by combining their two crèches; Bopanang and Reabona to provide early childhood education to children who were not attending any crèche in the area.

“I had a vision to rid children off the streets and take care of them. It was during the riots. Whenever children were arrested I would consult the SA Council of Churches to negotiate with the then government to release the children. Surely patience brings success. See where we are now,” Polela said, referring to the newly prototype centred.

Polela said she has for many years operated the crèche in an RDP house donated by the residents of Kgakala and Maquassi Hill local municipality. They agreed to combine their two crèches and registered them under one name, ‘Reabopa’ (loosed translated as ‘we are moulding’). This they say is, the joint name to be used in at the centre built by government.

Polela’s partner, Monageng said they agreed to cluster their crèches together so that they can operate together in a new centre.

“I am so overjoyed for this gift from government. For a long time I wished to operate in a centre like this one,” Monageng said. Currently, Monageng is operating a crèche in a rented house in area.

On Tuesday North West MEC for Social Development Fenny Gaolaolwe unveiled the plaque and cut the ribbon to mark the official opening of the new centre in full view of the beneficiaries.

Delivering her handover speech Gaolaolwe urged residents to take care of the facility and bring more children to the centre.

“The department is geared to achieve the intended purpose, of intervening in the lives of toddlers, between the ages of 0 to 4 years by preparing them mentally and physically for the life that awaits them in the later years. We appeal to all the residents including the local municipality to take care of this centre so that it should last long and benefit many children in this area,” Gaolaolwe said.

Condemning the mushrooming of crèches in the area, Gaolaolwe urged people to stop making business with crèches. She said her department will start to build similar facilities in villages and combine all local crèches into prototype early childhood development centres.

“When we combine these crèches no practitioner will lose her job. All staff members will continue to work in the new centres built by government,” Gaolaolwe said adding that the prototype centres that government has built, have the capacity to cater for more than 150 children and have an open playing ground with equipments, kitchen, waterborne toilets, sick room, staff office, scullery and a store room.

Gaolaolwe said ‘Re a Bopa’ ECD centre is one of the other two centres that the department has built at Matsheng in Taung and Ngobi in Moretele at a cost of R1,5m each. She said the centres were built to address the challenges facing the crèches which fail to comply with the norms and standards of operating a crèche.

Meanwhile Capacity building officer Costa Motsikwe from National Development Agency that served as a disbursing agency said they have already provided training to ten staff members on governance, conflict management, financial management and resource mobilisation. He said the agency will continue to mentor all staff to ensure smooth operation of the centre.
-TDN
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