Things are happening….at the new Ikhaya Labantwana Montessori!

Activity and movement started at the new, big Ikhaya Labantwana Montessori in early April 2013.  We were ready to open on  9 April 2013 and for the first week we only had the 9 ‘old’ children at the new school, so that they could adapt to their new environment.

By 15 April 2013 the new children started  joining Ikhaya Labantwana Montessori  coming in, in groups of 6 and 7………….shoo! crazy days!!!….In retrospect, I should have staggered the new intakes a lot more.  Well, we were in the deep end, with 45 children at the new Ikhaya Labantwana Montessori and now we just had to swim!!

It was the South African Montessori Association’s Annual Conference at the end of April 2013, and unfortunately I would not be able to attend.  Montessori Centre South Africa, the college that is training our 12 local ladies in the Montessori method  http://www.montessorisa.co.za represented ILM at the national conference to a MAJOR DEGREE!!!  They had a stall at the conference and an ILM presentation running on the computer, with photo’s of all the children that needed sponsorship.  They were selling ‘I am a friend of Ikhaya Labantwana Montessori” badges and they were promoting ILM  to all the delegates.  They also had pledge forms which people could fill in right away, if they wanted to sp0nsor a child! Barbara Isaacs from Montessori Centre International donated 19 brand new books to the stall, which were sold to generate funds to buy materials for the new ILM 🙂  By the end of the conference, MCSA had collected R8500 in donations to buy materials and had 22 ILM children sponsored at R300 per month!!  WOW!! We would like to extend a HUGE thank you from the bottom of our hearts to MCSA, MCI and all the Montessorians who so generously  participated in supporting our project – you are helping make a big difference in a rural child’s life and that is priceless!  A Massive thanks to Kirsty and Steven from Childrens House in Cape Town for supplying the new materials at cost price – very kind! And a special thank you to the Baz Bus http://www.bazbus.com for transporting boxes for ILM on a regular basis – totally free of charge!  Your help and  support to our  project is very valuable and we appreciate it greatly – thank you!

The 7th of May arrived and it was time for the local ladies to start their training for their NQF Level 5 Certificate in Montessori Early Childhood Development.  They were all very excited and kind of nervous…..and so was Susanne, the trainer who came down to do the first session! But by the 2nd day, Susanne had everyone relaxed and enjoying what they were learning.  The ladies did theory sessions in the mornings and then came up to ILM in the afternoons to do practicals.  They also spent a morning at ILM, doing presentations with the children – real live Montessori!! Wonderful to observe! MCSA has hugely sponsored the Montessori training, giving us a fantastic price, that is why we are able to help 12 women  empower themselves and learn new skills.  The full cost of the training is being sponsored by our generous, long term, hard working friends and funders in Holland, the super Stichting Obonto NPO, with Jacob (fondly known as iphi mali yam) and Bruun (Noncedo) driving the organisation.  Thank you, thank you, thank you – for all your support and effort in assisting the ILM community to develop and grow – since 2010, “we are on this road together” and we really appreciate you!! Thank you http://stichtingobonto.webnode.nl

New Montessori teachers in training…in Coffee Bay!

We are having happy  days at ILM and we now have running water.  We should be on the power grid within the week 🙂

The children are developing daily 🙂

The outside area of ILM has been a real challenge as we have been looking for a TLB (again!!!!) to shape the site for water drainage and to flatten an area for a playground for the children…..and most importantly…..to start the veggie garden!!!!! We need the nourishment!  If anyone reading this has any connections for a TLB …please doooo contact me 🙂

If any of you would like to get involved in this project, for just R300 per month, you can play a part in changing the life of a rural young child, by giving that child a solid foundation for all later learning.  Please contact me for details.

Thank you and stay well –  Dawn, the teachers and the abantwanas 🙂