2010

Eastern Cape ECD Awards 2010

Wednesday 20 October saw the Eastern Cape category of the 5th Annual South African Early Childhood Development Awards taking place in Grahamstown. The core aims of the Awards are to create awareness of the vital role that early childhood development (ECD) and education play in nation building and promoting excellence in the ECD sector. It also gives us a chance to celebrate the achievements of our teachers in what are usually very trying circumstances.

Lungelwa Mtwalo receiving her award

This year, two of the finalists were from Grahamstown, with Lungelwa Mtwalo (a teacher trained and mentored by the CSD) taking the top prize in the ECD Practitioner category. The prize for Best ECD Centre went to Lingelethu Day Care Centre in East London. The two winners will be entered into the national SAECD Awards to be held in Johannesburg. The event was a celebration with representatives from ABSA, Sowetan, SABC Education, South African Congress for ECD, Department of Social Development and Department of Education all on hand. Rene King, director of Khululeka, gave an inspiring speech reminding us all that ECD is everyone’s responsibility.

For more info, please see the full blog post here. 

Jazz in the Park 2010

The Kingswood Jazz Band played in the Grahamstown Botanical Gardens today in a concert to raise funds for the Centre for Social Development bursary scheme for underprivileged preschool children. Many young families came out to support the event, bringing their own picnics and relaxing on the lawns of the gardens. Children were entertained with games while the Band entertained with some classic jazz number like Tuxedo Junction, In the Mood, Alexander's Ragtime Band and Mack the Knife. The event was organised by trumpeter NJ Bingana as part of his IEB Matric music portfolio. Ticket sales raised R2 500, but after a challenge from CSD's Lara van Lelyveld to the audience to make further donations to earn an encore from the band, another R900 was donated. It was a wonderful day - with the weather clearing for the occasion.

For more info, please see the original blog posts here and here.

CSD Photo Competition

Rhodes staff and students (and their immediate families) were invited to enter the CSD Photo Competition. The theme is "Children’s Rights in South Africa” as enshrined in the Constitution. Photographers were free to interpret this theme in any way which they would like.The winning photograph entitled 'Running' was taken by Chrisna Coetzee.

Jean, Lara and Kate O'Regan

Chrisna Coetzee 'Running'

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The awards were handed out by Judge Kate O'Regan during Rhodes Constitution Week. The CSD had also put up an exhibition on Children's Rights to mark the occassion. Part of the exhibition was a South African flag, 4m x 6m, made up of children's handprints.

Let's Get Growing

With Spring just around the corner, it seemed the ideal time to get our fingers dirty and start growing veggies and herbs! Rhodes University (and Grahamstown in general) have a number of fantastic environmental groups and organisations. This project was just our way of adding to the work that they are doing.

So, how did it work? Well, the CSD put together packs of seeds, trays and soil which were available to order and keep in your department (ideally on a windowsill) and grow for the month of August. In the first week of 4th term your seedlings will be ready to be transplanted into your gardens.

Nolly planting seeds!

Should your gardens already be overflowing with produce, people were invited to donate your seedlings to one of the CSD’s Self-Help Groups. They have attended the Umthathi Training Project training and we wanted to help them along with seedlings.For more info on this, please see the original blog posts here and here.

Last Modified: Tue, 24 Feb 2015 16:50:15 SAST