ECD Practitioners NQF Level 4 Training Course

My name is Hega Bitschnau. I am German and have been living in South Africa for nearly 25 years. I have always been passionate about children and deeply interested in how they develop and learn. Working with young children for over 20 years has taught me about the profound impact the early years have on a child’s future. Realizing the potential that every child—regardless of race, gender, or background—is born with, stirred a dream within me: I wanted to give each child in my care the best possible start in life. My husband and I head up Family Care Ministries, a non-profit, public benefit organization focused on uplifting communities. Naturally, I became involved with preschools and day care centers in the areas where we were working. I shared tips and training with those working with children, and we supported centers by providing second-hand toys and teaching aids that I created myself. I also spent time compiling teacher guides, as access to online resources was so limited in the areas we served. I developed workshops on early learning methods, creating stimulating environments, and early childhood development, drawing on my own hands-on experience working with preschool-aged children. Being confronted with the need firsthand and seeing the long road South Africa still faces in breaking down inequality—particularly in education—has driven me to keep finding ways to make a difference. s the years progressed, I received a lot of positive feedback from the mostly unqualified women working in the field of Early Childhood Development (ECD) in the township areas where we operate. They expressed their gratitude for being inspired and began to see the importance of their day-to-day work. Yet, at the same time, I recognized the need for deeper involvement and a long-term commitment to help in more sustainable and impactful ways. I wanted to support the strides the South African government is making to meet children’s needs more effectively. Around that time, I heard about EDU-BUILD INSTITUTE, a private Christian college offering SAQA-accredited training that pursued many of the same goals as Family Care Ministries. Similarly, EDU-BUILD INSTITUTE aims to enable and empower women, giving them a second chance to build a better future by pursuing a qualification in the field they are already working in. We approached Edu-Build Institute, and to make a long story short, we are now able—under their umbrella—to offer accredited training courses to preschool teachers. Since opening a campus in Orange Farm seven years ago, we have assisted and supported about 100 women in obtaining a qualification in Early Childhood Development. We have offered the ECD Certificate (NQF Level 4), which is the minimum requirement for those working in ECD, as well as the National Diploma in ECD (NQF Level 5), which enables women to manage their own ECD centers. Having qualified staff is one of the key requirements for centers to access government subsidies. As we are bound by a specific course fee structure, the biggest challenge students face is being able to afford the cost of the training. While living costs continue to rise, salaries remain low, and jobs are harder to find. At the same time, center management often puts pressure on teachers to obtain a qualification so that the centre can access the funding it needs to operate. Some teachers are even threatened with losing their jobs, which creates high levels of job insecurity. Wish List • Donations to subsidize students’ course fees • 10 iPads for revision quizzes (require no plug points, easy to transport, support reading comprehension, and effectively review key course information) • Lever arch files (70 mm) • Stationery: exam pads (pre-punched), highlighters, ballpoint pens (blue or black), coloured pencil sets, A4 coloured paper pads • Donations towards running expenses (electricity, refreshments, etc.)