The story of Thamboville Early Childhood Development(ECD) Centre

Rose Mngadi opened the Thamboville Early Childhood Development(ECD) Centre in 2017 after seeing a need in her community. She has her matric(high school degree) and a diploma in Secretarial Studies and further qualifications(N4) in Early Childhood Education, but ultimately has dreams of getting further education with a college degree in childhood education. Her co-teacher’s are her sister Thisha Ncane and her husband Sizwe Mngadi, along with a few other community members.

Rose runs the creche from her home, and has very much outgrown her space, but feels strongly about not turning children away so has taken on more than she can handle. Many of the children’s parents cannot afford the minimal school fees, but she will not turn them away.

The ECD is located in Thamboville, one of the poorest townships in Pietermaritzburg. The surrounding neighborhood is made up of 28.1% informal dwellings (wooden shacks), with an average annual income of 14,600 Rand ($915 USD) and 62% unemployment. The ECD’s current facility is made up of 3 very small and dark rooms, built around a concrete courtyard that now has a growing sink hole after recent floods. With this, they care for 62 local children, from 0-5 years old as well as a book club and after school tutoring for older children in the neighborhood. Their educational projects are limited due to lack of space and staffing. They provide meals for all of the children under their care, as Rose estimates that over 90% of the children currently come to school hungry. They are registered as an Early Childhood Development Centre by the Provincial Department of Education and as a South African NGO.

In recognition of their success to date, the municipal government has given the ECD a plot of land in their neighborhood to build a larger school. Their local resourcefulness has generated enough money from the community to begin building two rooms on the new plot, at a cost of 25,000 South African Rand. These rooms have been found to be in need of repair and structural support before they will be safe for use.

Thanks to a generous donation in 2022 from the Patrick and Anna Cudahy M Cudahy Fund, we were able to begin Phase I of the project in June of 2023. We have hired a local builder and plumber, Mdu Khanyile, who has a vested interest in the project as its close neighbor. We are seeking donations to continue with the project, and complete Phases II-IV. Please click below to learn more about our plans.