ECD centres to embark on three-day protest over stimulus fund payments
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Cape Town - The Centre for Early Childhood Development (CECD) is making preparations for a three-day countrywide protest to pressure the Department of Social Development (DSD) to release the 2020 Presidency Early Childhood Development Employment Stimulus Relief Fund.
According to the non-profit organisation, the DSD failed to deliver on its promise to facilitate the funds and payout to early childhood development centres (ECDs) by March 31, resulting in hundreds of ECDs buckling under the strain of Covid-19 and closing down.
CECD director Eric Artmore said that after conducting two surveys, last year and earlier this year, the non-profit had seen the bleak reality for many ECDs across the country.
This year’s story Fly, everyone, fly! is by best-selling local author, Sihle Nontshokweni. (Image supplied by Nal’ibali)
World Read Aloud Day is taking place on Wednesday 3 February, and Nal’ibali, the national reading-for-enjoyment campaign, is calling caregivers across the country to join the celebration and help them break their read-aloud record by reading a single story to 3 million children.
For the past eight years, Nal’ibali has proudly brought a brand-new special story to South Africa children to enjoy on the day. This year’s story Fly, everyone, fly! is by best-selling local author, Sihle Nontshokweni, and is available in all 11 official South African languages from the Nal’ibali website or via WhatsApp (message ‘WRAD’ to 060 044 2254); where caregivers can also make their pledges.