DELMAS – Two Early Childhood Development (ECD) centres in Botleng, Delmas, received equipment and learning materials from Eskom’s Kusile Power Station through the Eskom Development Foundation on Thursday.
Bokamoso ECD and Dalimfundo Day Care Centre received resources aimed at supporting their daily operations and improving the learning environment for children.
Bokamoso ECD received two computers, a Canon printer, four office chairs, two executive desks with side cabinets, 12 boxes of A4 paper and five colour ink multipacks.
Dalimfundo Day Care Centre received a 5 250-litre JoJo tank, 50 tables, 25 toddler chair sets, a size 25 potjie pot, a 10m × 3m carpet and 100 mattresses. The centre also received toys and learning materials, including ropes, hula hoops, tennis balls, soccer balls, building blocks, puzzles, alphabet sets, colouring materials, dolls, sand buckets and floor seats.
Dalimfundo Day Care Centre founder Sunnyboy Mntakwende told Highveld Chronicle that he was grateful for the support after the centre applied to Kusile for assistance.
“We are so excited to know that our children will be having material to use so that they can develop. As we all know, we are busy with early childhood development, and we are in need of material to assist the children to develop.”
Mntakwende said the donation would help meet some of the centre’s needs and support the development of the children.
For Bokamoso ECD founder Yvonne Thathane, the computers and printer will help reduce the centre’s reliance on internet cafés for administrative work.
Thathane said that since the transition of ECD services from Social Development to Education in 2022, centres had increasingly been required to submit documents in typed and printed form, including registers and business plans, placing an additional financial burden on the centre.
“I was struggling to the extent that I was relying on internet cafés. I was able to pay R1,500 a month at the internet café. But now that these things are here, at least R1,500 will no longer go to the internet café.”
Thathane said the money could instead be redirected towards other needs, including maintenance.
“I will now be able to do other things, things like getting a proper gate and fixing other things that need fixing. I am very grateful. It took some time, but they have finally arrived.”
Victor Khanye Local Municipality Executive Mayor Vusi Buda welcomed the handover, saying partnerships between the municipality, businesses and community organisations were important in addressing local needs.
“Kusile is really helpful in the community as the municipality sometimes cannot afford to assist with everything. We therefore thank Eskom Kusile Power Station for helping our community,” Buda said.
The handover was also attended by Victor Khanye Local Municipality Speaker Henry Ngoma.
Joseph Mashaba, Eskom Kusile Power Station Manager of the Stakeholder and Communications Department, said the initiative was intended not only to provide immediate support to the ECD centres, but also to contribute to the development of young learners.
“We want these young minds to start learning about different careers while they are still young, so that they grow up with aspirations of what they can become. My career path was not very clear, and I had to try different directions. What I experienced, I don’t want my children or your children to experience.”
Mashaba said communities and organisations needed to work together to create better opportunities for future generations.
“We need to work together to make sure their future is better and that these young minds have a clear vision of where they want to go. I want to help not only this generation, but five generations to come. We need to secure their future and make sure we get things right for them.”
The handover forms part of Eskom’s Corporate Social Investment programme, with the power utility saying the initiative reflects its commitment to supporting communities and the principle of Ubuntu.
For the two ECD centres, the resources will provide practical assistance with administration, infrastructure and learning activities, while allowing limited funds to be redirected towards other needs.
