CDW is building a City of Hope through early childhood development in Khayelitsha
24 March 2023
The Community Development Workers Programme (CDWP), a collaboration
between the City’s Urban Waste Management Directorate and the Western Cape
Government’s Department of Local Government, is working to support vulnerable
early childhood development centres (ECDs).
The joint initiative Early Childhood Development Project aims to capacitate ECDs in Cape Town with tools they need to run healthy eating programmes and provide a safe space for the most vulnerable children in our city.
During March 2023 efforts are being focused in Ward 99 (Khayelitsha), where many children grow up in poverty with parents who are unemployed and cannot afford basic necessities.
A total of 24 ECDs were provided with fire extinguishers, plastic tables and chairs, mattresses, hot water urns, gas burner stoves and pots. They were also provided with recycling bins and plastic bags to keep the facility clean.
'Early childhood, before primary school, is a crucial period for children's development. Having proper nutrition and places where they feel secure during this period helps assist them with their learning and development. We need to try and support children in this phase as much as we can, and I am happy that the Urban Waste Management Directorate is able to play a small part in this to help our future generations,' said Mayoral Committee Member for Urban Waste Management, Alderman Grant Twigg.
The assistance provided to ECDs in the area was facilitated via the CDWP. This programme seeks to:
- Assist with improving service delivery and accessibility of services to the public;
- Assist with inter-governmental coordination both between government line departments and the three spheres of government;
- Facilitate community development, and stronger interaction and partnerships between government and communities; and
- Support participatory democracy.
'The CDWP helps to build a bridge between government and communities, so they can be empowered to exercise their voice to access the programmes and projects that can assist them. We encourage ECDs that are interested in this project to please contact their local subcouncil for more information,' said Alderman Twigg.
End
Published by:
City of Cape Town, Media Office
