The Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa is shifting gears in its centennial year, driving a new initiative that goes beyond automotive excellence and into the heart of education.
In a groundbreaking partnership with the Nelson Mandela Foundation and the Department of Basic Education, Ford launched a new early childhood development centre in Mamelodi on Monday.
This state-of-the-art facility is the latest addition to Ford’s growing portfolio of early childhood development centres, aimed at providing high-quality education and care to children from disadvantaged backgrounds.
President of Ford Motor Company, Neale Hill, said this legacy corporate social responsibility project forms part of the carmaker’s centenary celebration in South Africa, with a total of 100 early childhood development centres being constructed through this initiative.
“Nelson Mandela highlighted the importance of education as a means of empowering and uplifting the youth, which ultimately creates a brighter and more prosperous future for the country as a whole,” she said.
She added that they are honoured and privileged to be supporting Mandela’s legacy and the love for the children of South Africa by partnering with the Nelson Mandela Foundation to build 100 early childhood development centres.
According to Ford, 27 early childhood development centres have been completed and handed over to the community – one in Mamelodi, 14 in KwaZulu-Natal and 16 in the Eastern Cape.
Each facility is a sturdy brick-and-mortar building comprising classrooms, a kitchen, toilet facilities and a sickbay.
“These bright and colourful new early childhood development centres replace many inadequate shacks, huts and tired old building that served as informal nursery schools, day-care centres and preschools in impoverished communities for many years,” she said.
Hill further said they have been amazed at the dedication and resilience the teachers and community members have shown in providing early learning opportunities despite difficult conditions.
“It’s truly heart-warming to see the impact that the new early childhood development centres have made in transforming and uplifting these communities , and improving the learning opportunities for the children so they can thrive and prosper,” she added.
Acting CEO of the Mandela Foundation, Professor Verne Harris, said their partnership with Ford has yielded tangible outcomes for community upliftment and enhancing dignity for young children.
“Partnerships like this are imperative as they bring us closer to addressing the inequities faced in our society,” he said.
Founder and principal of Bophelo Day Care Centre, Lily Mokwena, said she is very happy and grateful for the things Ford Motor Company, the Nelson Mandela Foundation and the Department of Basic Education have done at the day-care centre.
She said the centre is small and easily underestimated and she is grateful that they now have a newly built structure.
“The parents are very happy. The building is so nice and big and will greatly improve the care and learning we can provide for children,” she said.
Department of Basic Education social worker in the early childhood development sector, Nkwe Rapelego, said they are also grateful for this partnership with the Nelson Mandela Foundation and Ford Motor Company.
“This is very important for our communities across the country especially to identify the centre in this kind of the community where children do not have a lot of resources. This is a legacy for our communities and also children, and to make sure that our children are safe,” he said.
He said as the department they are on board to assist the principal to get fully registered in line with the Children’s Act.
“There are a lot of communities like this one that need more resources. We still need more support from anyone and also the private and public sector in this sector. We are on board with the principal to help her and fully get her registered. We will push for her to get registered with the Department of Basic Education to make sure she complies with the Children’s legislation,” he added.
Pretoria News