We begin the year with the usual mental processes of
reflection and projection: where we have been and
where we are going.
2007 was a progressive and satisfactory year for
Little Seeds. We are still a small training
organisation but we have been incredibly productive:
effective and efficient in the development of
people. We have brought pre-school teachers through
to completion of full national qualifications at the
rate of more than one per week. And that Early
Childhood Development training represents only half
of our total training activities. Hundreds of
others have benefited from Little Seeds training in
2007, including around 160 orphans, widows and
care-givers.
Staff Changes:
Most of the Little Seeds staff and associate
trainers have been with us for several years, but
there will always be a few changes as people move on
in their lives and ambitions, and as the work of
Little Seeds continues to develop. The changes as
2007 finished and 2008 begins are as follows:
Paul Braine: completed two years as Assistant Project Manager, and we
are most thankful for his inputs, particularly his
skills in computing, and his hard work in preparing
the applications to Umalusi (quality assurance body)
and the Department of Education, both in relation to
the new legal requirement to register as a Further
Education and Training (FET) College. Paul returns
to his native UK in January.
Heather Drury: stepped down from being Head of Training, in order to
specialise in curriculum development and in serving
organisations, and ECD developments that have
bearing at a national level in Botswana and
Mozambique. She remains a trustee, and moves to
become a director of the new Little Seeds Training
s.21 company as from January.
Little Seeds growing up to
plant
trees
A school ‘greening’ project was
undertaken involving some primary school children.
We have produced trained pre-school teachers for
this school’s reception year classes. A local plant
nursery helped us in the provision of indigenous
trees, and the lower primary children received
instruction on the nurture of the trees.
Getrude Nkosi,
trainer, centre.
Right
- Patience Manzini and Paul Braine
showing off some of the gifts for orphaned and
vulnerable children that were packaged up for
Christmas presents at the end of the December
psychosocial support courses with the teenagers.
Right -
One happy pre-school teacher for whom
Little Seeds found a sponsor in December.
Above:
November 3rd was
‘Graduation Day’
A total of 51 pre-school teachers
completed their national qualifications. One of the
groups of students for the National Certificate in
Early Childhood Development.
“If I survive my illness”
The following is from a letter Little Seeds
management received from a pre-school teacher a
while ago. The woman was enrolled as part of a
sponsored group for the National Certificate in ECD.
‘I am sorry Sir to let you know at last term that, I can’t
be there. I am a very sick woman. I am always in
bed, it is now a month (that I have) been ill, but
nothing comes alright. ‘I am sorry, it does mean
that I don’t cooperate, it is because of my
illness. I promise to continue with my studies if I
can survive my illness. I think my cooperation will
be taken into consideration.
Yours faithfully ……. ‘
The woman died a few weeks later. AIDS was the
killer, and this illustrates that even with ARV drug
therapy now reaching the more remote rural areas,
many are still not presenting themselves for
treatment, or find too many obstacles to getting
help.
