A Beacon Valley educare is using funds they received from the City of Cape Town to feed residents and educate them about the Covid-19 pandemic and national lockdown restrictions.
Mizpah Educare Centre received R220 000 grant-in-aid funding in June, which has to be spent by June 30 next year by promoting healthy lifestyles for both
parents and children.
Principal Anthea Arendse said the national Covid-19 lockdown had forced them to tweak their business plan and adjust how
they met the needs of the community.
“We could not just keep this money to ourselves but decided to cast out our net and share with the rest of the community,” she said.
On receipt of the money, they bought pots and a gas stove to cook food and feed up to 800 people daily.
Last week they hosted a Covid-19 work-readiness workshop for community workers and local early childhood development (ECD) centre principals at the Eastridge community centre.
The programme was supported by the City’s environmental health practitioners and social workers.
Ms Arendse said it was important for ECD centres to be registered and compliant of Covid-19 lockdown regulations.
She also offered to help centres become compliant and ensure the safety of staff and pupils.
The educare centre also hosted a ceremony for 26 First Aid Level 3 graduates, including ECD principals and members of a local netball club.
They completed an intensive 10-day course by Al Aydarus Services and their accredited training is valid for three years.
Graduate Sonja Abrahams said the training, which they completed about a month ago, was invaluable and that they had already used their skills to assist their neighbours and family members.
These graduates can also now apply to do a paramedic course.
They will in turn be able to assist 1 234 children and adults in their immediate care, when the need arises.
In June three Mitchell’s Plain organisations – the educare; Cape Town Drug Counselling Centre in collaboration with Mitchell’s Plain-based youth mentorship project, DAD (Decision Affects Destinies): and the Blaqpearl Foundation, in Portland, which teaches young people arts, life skills, literature, sport to entrepreneurship and non-violence as a means of expression – received a total of about R560 000 grant-in-aid funding.