As part of celebrating the festive season, children at Lotsha Day Care in Ebony Park, Rainbow Day Care Centre in Rabie Ridge, House of Dorah, Brightness and Vhukhudo early childhood development (ECD) centres in Diepsloot were treated to Christmas gifts donated by Massmart employees in their personal capacities. On December 11, 2023, the generous donation of gifts took place through the longstanding SUCCEED partnership.
This partnership, spanning over a decade, connects Massmart with the national NGO HOPE worldwide South Africa and focuses on promoting Early Childhood Development. In charming Christmas packaging, the gifts comprised a wonderful assortment of items, including clothing, shoes, toys, tricycles, storybooks, and more, bringing joy to the children involved.Andrew Stein, the Chief Customer Officer at Massmart, says: “As Massmart, we believe in trying to make a positive impact in the lives of others. This holiday season, we encouraged our team members to connect with the spirit of giving. By asking children to share their wish lists, our team members contributed their own gifts to fulfill those wishes, creating moments of festivity and joy. Thank You HOPE worldwide South Africa for allowing our team members to give of their own.”Anikie Molepo, Provincial Manager of HOPE worldwide South Africa in Gauteng, says it was so nice seeing the excitement on the kids’ faces as they received their presents.
They will add a special touch of fun and enjoyment to their holiday experience.The Principal of Rainbow ECD Centre, Wendy Kinloch, adds that the children at her centre were so happy to get their presents. “It was a blessing to receive them, and it was the first time our children have received gifts from an organisation,” she says. “Me and their parents were very appreciative.”HOPE worldwide South Africa has also coordinated the ongoing provision of food parcels to these ECD centres. The food parcels, donated through support from the KFC Add HOPE initiative, were filled with nutritious food such as samp, beans, pilchards and more, enabling children to grow healthy and strong, play and learn so they can lead the best possible future.
In addition to this donation of gifts to children, throughout 2023, the SUCCEED partnership also assisted with the refurbishment of numerous ECD centres across the country, creating a more conducive learning environment for children and ensuring compliance with the norms and standards of the Department of Education. Going forward, HOPE worldwide South Africa and Massmart will continue bringing joy into the lives of young children and working together to ensure they achieve overall optimal development.Ends Issued by: Thandiwe McCloy Marketing, Media, Advocacy and Communications Manager – HOPE worldwide South Africa Contact Number: 083 696 6597 Email: thandiwe.mcCloy@hopewwsa.org About HOPE worldwide South AfricaHOPE worldwide South Africa has been serving vulnerable children, parents, caregivers and communities since 1993. Our vision is to see a South Africa where every young and vulnerable child has the best possible start in life. One of our main goals is to restore hope and resilience to children and families. From 2011, we have focused our efforts on supporting the most vulnerable young children, aged birth to six years, as this is the most critical period in a child’s development. We know that what happens in early childhood will last a lifetime so we must act early! With the support from various partners and sponsors, we are investing in young children through several strategies.
These include: supporting Early Childhood Development (ECD) Centres (crèche), running Community ECD Parenting programmes, and providing Childhood Nutritional Support. Our footprint and reach span the nine provinces in South Africa. We operate primarily in disadvantaged communities where children and families face a host of challenges. These include unemployment, poverty, hunger, illiteracy, high HIV/AIDS prevalence rates and gender-based violence.Considering that millions of young children do not have access to ECD centres, HOPE worldwide South Africa also runs the Caregiver Learning Through Play (CLTP) programme in partnership with Save the Children, Ntataise, the Early Learning Resource Unit (ELRU) and is supported by the LEGO Foundation. The CLTP programme aims to equip 600 000 caregivers with knowledge, skills, and activities to facilitate Learning Through Play and Responsive Parenting.