WHAT WE DO

We provide critical support to struggling Early Childhood Development Centres/Nurseries (ECD Centres) located in the poorest and most underprivileged townships of South Africa, where education is seen as the only way to escape poverty.

Our mission is two fold; to get the children ‘School-Ready’ by the time they are 6, and to ensure the ECD Centres can be registered with the South African Government. This takes a matrix of support culminating in better ECD Centres, long-term employment and sustainability for the teachers and nursery owners. We operate in townships where unemployment can typically run at 80%.

6 PILLAR APPROACH
Through 6 inter-related pillars we support the delivery of health, education and safety to vulnerable children as well as facilitate the training and up-skilling that adults need to teach the children and successfully run the ECD Centres.

Teachers and owners are the heart of the communities and are key to ECD Centres success. Without them, none of our initiatives could be implemented and maintained. Through our Teacher Training and Entrepreneurship Mentorship programmes, we help with the registration of the ECD Centres with local governing bodies and help to create sustainable businesses.

Without all of these 6 key pillars working congruently – it’s simple. The children fail. We fail.

Professor Stefan Allesch-Taylor, CBE – Founder & Chairman says:
“Today we repair or build brand new ECD Centres using simple but effective construction materials and create clean and safe environments for the children. We provide teacher training courses to improve staff skill sets, every child receives a nutritious breakfast, we provide entrepreneurial support and we provide both Water, Sanitation and Hygiene training to both teachers and children. In addition we provide children with a fun durable tracksuit ‘school uniform’ and additional educational aids – we have come a very, very long way from just serving school breakfasts.”

Read our Chairman speaking about our New Nursery Building Program here.

Camille Paterson – Programme Director says:
“There is NO point providing a healthy nutritious meal programme to children in an unsafe, unhygienic, structurally unsound environment surrounded by teachers who don’t care. This is why our 6 Pillar Approach is vital to getting these children School-Ready. Without any one of these pillars we simply fail our children. And in my view, as a South African, we fail our future.”

PILLARS OF SUPPORT

NUTRITION

Feeding our children is the foundation of our programme because nutrition is essential for learning, cognitive development and healthy growth. 

Malnutrition is a major underlying cause of death in 64% of South Africa’s children under the age of five (UNICEF).

STRUCTURAL UPGRADES

We repair or build brand new ECD Centres using simple but effective construction materials and create warm, clean and safe environments for the children.

The aim is that all our ECD Centres become Government compliant and Department of Social Development (DSD) registered in order to apply for Government funding/aid.

W A S H
(Water, Sanitation &
Hygiene)

Our WASH pillar focuses on improving Water, Sanitation and Hygiene in the ECD Centres and ensuring that, where possible, each ECD is WASH compliant.

To create and maintain health standards, we ensure running water and flushing toilets in each of our ECD Centres.

TEACHER TRAINING

Teachers have one of the most important jobs in the world, they are building our future generations. In such hostile environments where education is the key to a better life, the role of teachers is enhanced.

We provide support, training, mentoring and evaluation for teachers within the townships, encouraging their personal development and ensuring high standards of teaching in order to get children ‘School Ready’.

EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION

We facilitate access to education programmes that meet the national curriculum and get kids ‘School Ready’.

ENTREPRENEURSHIP &
PRINCIPAL OWNERSHIP

A key Pillar of Support is creating sustainability within the ECD Centres. And at Afri-CAN Children’s Charity we provide the platform for each ECD to be a fully self-sustainable business.

PILLARS OF SUPPORT

NUTRITION

Feeding our children is the foundation of our programme because nutrition is essential for learning, cognitive development and healthy growth. 

Malnutrition is a major underlying cause of death in 64% of South Africa’s children under the age of five (UNICEF).

STRUCTURAL UPGRADES

We repair or build brand new ECD Centres using simple but effective construction materials and create warm, clean and safe environments for the children.

The aim is that all our ECD centres become Government compliant and Department of Social Development (DSD) registered in order to apply for Government funding/aid.

W A S H
(Water, Sanitation &
Hygiene)

Our WASH pillar focuses on improving Water, Sanitation and Hygiene in the ECD Centres and ensuring that, where possible, each ECD is WASH compliant.

To create and maintain health standards, we ensure running water and flushing toilets in each of our ECD Centres.

TEACHER TRAINING

Teachers have one of the most important jobs in the world, they are building our future generations. In such hostile environments where education is the key to a better life, the role of teachers is enhanced.

We provide support, training, mentoring and evaluation for teachers within the townships, encouraging their personal development and ensuring high standards of teaching in order to get children ‘School Ready’.

EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION

We facilitate access to education programmes that meet the national curriculum and get kids ‘School Ready’.

ENTREPRENEURSHIP &
PRINCIPAL OWNERSHIP

A key Pillar of Support is creating sustainability within the ECD Centres. And at Afri-CAN Children’s Charity we provide the platform for each ECD to be a fully self-sustainable business.

PILLARS OF SUPPORT

NUTRITION

Feeding our children is the foundation of our programme because nutrition is essential for learning, cognitive development and healthy growth. 

Malnutrition is a major underlying cause of death in 64% of South Africa’s children under the age of five (UNICEF).

STRUCTURAL UPGRADES

We repair or build brand new ECD Centres using simple but effective construction materials and create warm, clean and safe environments for the children.

The aim is that all our ECD centres become Government compliant and Department of Social Development (DSD) registered in order to apply for Government funding/aid.

W A S H
(Water, Sanitation &
Hygiene)

Our WASH pillar focuses on improving Water, Sanitation and Hygiene in the ECD Centres and ensuring that, where possible, each ECD Centre is WASH compliant.

To create and maintain health standards, we ensure running water and flushing toilets in each of our ECD Centres.

TEACHER TRAINING

Teachers have one of the most important jobs in the world, they are building our future generations. In such hostile environments where education is the key to a better life, the role of teachers is enhanced.

We provide support, training, mentoring and evaluation for teachers within the townships, encouraging their personal development and ensuring high standards of teaching in order to get children ‘School Ready’.

EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION

We facilitate access to education programmes that meet the national curriculum and get kids ‘School Ready’.

ENTREPRENEURSHIP &
PRINCIPAL OWNERSHIP

A key Pillar of Support is creating sustainability within the ECD Centres. And at Afri-CAN Children’s Charity we provide the platform for each ECD Centre to be a fully self-sustainable business.