August marks the close of Phase/Year Three of the Early Childhood Development (ECD) Izimpande Zobuntu (Roots of Ubuntu) Values Education Project. In the third phase of the project the training model shifted from ‘train the practitioner’ to ‘train the trainer’. Each of the five trainers trained, in their areas, 20 ECD practitioners, totalling 100 trainees and spreading wider the Values Education Programme. Progressing to this training model, has resulted in the following:
-
communities have a sense of their own agency in the programme
-
growth and development of the programme are promoted from within communities
-
communities can adapt the programme to local and contextual needs
-
strengths and capacities of participating community members are developed
On Friday, 5 August, at a special event, the trainers were roundly praised for their commitment to the project and their successes in the training programme. In acknowledging their completion of the programme, they were awarded certificates of participation.
Commenting on their experiences and noting some of the highlights of the Values Project, they had this to say:
Zandile Gumede (Umlazi): The Values training changes people’s lives and during training the trainees work together as a team and respect one another.
Skhumbuzo Hadebe (Hammarsdale): It has been a wonderful experience that had a positive impact on my life and that of my trainees. The practitioners said they learnt something new after every lesson and they always gave positive feedback.
Themba Hlengwa (Umzinto): This course has planted a seed in us all. What we’ve learned has been passed down to the crèches. In the area I come from, with the learning needs of my ECD educators, I saw myself as Moses from the Old Testament training the teachers in the 12 values and adding to their work in the ECD sites.
Margaret Vilakazi (Folweni): Although I am a chairperson of Insimbini Forum, I feel humbled to get this opportunity to be selected as a trainer of the trainees.
Feziwe Gambo (Kwa Makutha): I want to thank Gandhi Development Trust for the knowledge and experience they gave us and to open my mind to go out and spread the values in the community. More especially the spirit of ubuntu being planted in our young children in our ECD centres. I had a great experience of facilitating a group of practitioners from different backgrounds with different characters, behaviours and attitudes and see the values changing them instantly.