Books and toys arrive at 10 ECD centres
Fri, 27 August 2010
“This is the first time anybody has given us a donation. This is the first time we see new books and toys. I can now use the information in the books in my lessons and other practitioners are also very excited to use these books and toys with the children.” Beatrice Mathidi - Mashudu Khumbe Community
REPORT 1: Biblionef South Africa – supplying mother-tongue storybooks to preschools
The aim of this project was to provide 10 Early Childhood Development (ECD) centres in disadvantaged areas of Mpumalanga with steel trunks each containing 80 storybooks (in both English and mother-tongue) and 10 toys.
Activities and Outcomes
As a result of this project, 903 preschool children (far higher than the original estimate of 495) have access to books that are culturally appropriate as well as other resources such as toys and puzzles. Forty two practitioners now have resources to teach their children and prepare them for school. The following activities have been carried out: * Biblionef selected age and language appropriate books for each of the ECD centres. * Steel trunks were purchased and fitted with locks. * A handover function was held where a representative from each of the beneficiary ECD centres accepted their books and toys. * A workshop was provided to the attending practitioners to give them basic training in caring for books, storytelling, and using books for ECD.
Expenditure
The total cost of this project was R57 998 which has been paid in full by SASIX.
| Description | Total Budget | Total Expenditure | Overspend/Underspend |
| Books | 35 000 | 35 000 | - |
| Toys & Resource Materials | 5 000 | 5 000 | - |
| Steel trunks | 4 000 | 4 000 | - |
| Keys & locks | 300 | 450 | -150 |
| Organisational Costs | |||
| Funders acknowledgement: printing and laminating A3 and A3 poster or applying sticker in each book | 200 | 200 | - |
| Distribution Costs | 4 000 | 2 547 | 1 453 |
| Staff Time | |||
| Books Stock Librarian - Selecting ordering and packing of books | 720 | 720 | - |
| Project Co-ordinator - Liaison with the ECDs, selection and handover of books | 1 440 | 1 440 | - |
| Travel for training at Book Handover | |||
| Travel | 6 200 | 5 335 | 865 |
| Accommodation | 800 | 1 390 | -590 |
| Staff subsistence allowance | 200 | 300 | -100 |
| TOTAL | 57 860 | 56 382 | 1 478 |
Challenges
The project has thus far run very smoothly. It will now rely on the individual ECD centres to make proper use of the supplied resources.
Monitoring and evaluation
Biblionef has ensured that each of the ECD centres have received their books and toys and have a secure trunk in which to store them. In the coming months, ECD centres will be required to report to Biblionef on the use of the books and the impact that they have had on the children attending their centres.
Conclusions
The books and toys have been distributed to all of the ECD centres. This will make a major difference to the resources available at these centres. It is particularly encouraging that they will have access to mother-tongue story books, which is in line with ECD best practice.
