OUR CURRENT CORE PROGRAMMES
By providing early childhood development community-based programmes for children, parents and families, we build on the confidence within the communities.
Development of skills, providing parents with a supportive social network as well as improve their leadership and self-efficacy are key in community growth and development. This will then create a system of change for the children.
Early Inspiration's Current Core Programmes
The Early Inspiration's Current Core Programmes are community-based programmes for children, parents and families to help them grow and thrive.
Our Current Core Programmes include:
EXXARO Aga Sechaba | Tsitsikamma Wind Farm Trust | Amakhala Emoyeni Wind Farm
Since 2024, Early Inspiration has partnered with EXXARO Aga Sechaba, Tsitsikamma Wind Farm Trust, and Amakhala Emoyeni Wind Farm, through Cennergi, in order to implement a multi-year holistic intervention across 9 Early Childhood Development (ECD) Centres.
This initiative focuses on strengthening the foundational pillars of high-quality ECD centres—ensuring safe environments, professionalising the workforce, and supporting long-term sustainability. Staff have undergone Early Inspirations ECD Foundational Training Programme and are currently completing their Accredited Level 4 Qualification. First Aid and Fire-fighter training has been completed as well as resourcing of the ECD Centres to ensure safety & compliance. With a strong focus on sustainability and capacitating ECD Centres through our management support initiatives.
The health & safety of each individual child is of priority and as a result growth monitoring and health tracking is crucial, together with the provision of a nutritious breakfast, snacks and lunch on a daily basis. The implementation of food gardens at the ECD Centres has been a focal element over the past year so that ECD Centres become self-sustaining in terms of fresh vegetables. Excess stock which is harvested is prepared and frozen or distributed to children and families from the local community that are in need.
Resourcing of ECD Centres aligned with the implementation of the NCF-Aligned curriculum has formed a core element of the programme as this ensures that day-to-day strategies are able to be followed. Weekly mentorship, engagement, support and communication with our team is a crucial element which supports accountability.
Provision of salaries is a huge motivating factor which encourages best-practice, is a motivating factor, has introduced a sense of self-worth and a desire for achievement. The holistic implementation of the 9 ECD Centres has shown incredible growth since the start of programme implementation.
The Johann Rupert Foundation | Trim Tab Foundation
Since 2013 Early Inspiration has been working with The Johann Rupert Foundation (Trim Tab Foundation) focussing on early education strategies in ECD Centres in Graaff Reinet and surrounds. Over the years the intervention has included accredited practitioner training, support groups, parent support strategies, establishment & support of a collaborative framework called a Community of Practice where local stakeholders are provided a platform of knowledge sharing, capacitation and networking. Ongoing support is provided to ECD Centre staff through practitioner support programmes which continues to provide skills training, mentorship, administrative support and compliance.
Rotary International
Since 2016, Early Inspiration has trained over 200 practitioners through the support of local Rotary Clubs in Nelson Mandela Bay. Through Global Grants and matched funding by Rotary Foundation, the professionalisation of the ECD Space in Nelson Mandela Bay has become of a reality for many. Rotary-funded Practitioners historically start their training journey on our Foundational Training Programme which provides a great base on understanding what lies ahead in the professionalization pathway.
Once practitioners complete their initial training, they proceed to the Accredited Qualification in ECD. Rotarians are incredibly involved in the lives of all practitioners on the multi-year programme and build relationships, friendships and connect deeply. Rotarians run a mentorship engagement, where skilled Rotarians use their talents to upskill and further strengthen relationships while building inter-personal skills, soft-skills and management skills.
Jim Joel Fund
Jim Joel Fund has been one of our partners since 2016 with ongoing support, including piloting projects and provision of support for ongoing Practitioner Support Services. The support of Jim Joel Fund allows Early Inspiration to run ongoing capacitation programmes for Alumini students that are no longer registered on our programmes but remain interested in growing.
These practitioners attend ongoing sessions which further build their knowledge-base, experience-base, resource-base and keep ECD Centres updated with policy and best practice while at the same time providing a platform for personal development, support with time-management, self-esteem and around the management of a sustainable, child-focussed ECD Centre.
Dedisa Peaking Power
Since 2017, Early Inspiration has partnered with 20 ECD Centres in Nelson Mandela Bay. Practitioners & Principals at these ECD Centres have received accredited training through our Foundational Training Programme as well as Level 4 Qualification in ECD. The ECD Centre Principals and Management Committee are currently attending a Management Programme which supports compliance, effective management, fundraising, report writing, alignment with what is required from The Department of Education.
A range of compliance issues have been supported over the years & the ECD Centres all implement Early Inspiration’s NCF-Aligned Curriculum and receive resources annually in order to support the implementation, particularly of the creative elements of the curriculum. Parental support was encouraged through the capacitation of principals on the administration of parental engagement.
Dedisa Peaking Power has proved that they are passionate about the growth of each individual human being and as such provide additional ad-hoc support where needed to meet the various needs of adults and children at the various ECD Centres.
ADP
A new partnership has recently been formed with ADP in order to support a cohort of 15 passionate practitioners that are based in Nelson Mandela Bay, working in ECD Centres and fall between 1 to 3 Years.
Cookhouse Windfarm
Early Inspiration worked with a cohort of 20 ECD Centres between 2016 and 2024 from 4 Eastern Cape communities, namely Bedford, Adelaide, Somerset East and Cookhouse. The ECD Centres were enrolled in a multi-year programme which focused holistically and integrated personal development & professionalisation, capacitation, administration and management, compliance in terms of health and safety, first aid, resourcing together with the implementation of the NCF-Aligned curriculum. Ongoing child-assessments, monitoring, site-based mentorship and support were core elements of this intervention.