The Anwar Jakoet Foundation has assisted five Early Childhood Development (ECD) centres in the Ocean View area by providing educational materials, blankets, beanies, and other essential items.
Last year, the Parliamentary Committee on Basic Education highlighted the need for improved support in the ECD sector, noting that centres received a subsidy of only R17 per child per day—resulting in a lower quality of education for learners.
Speaking to VOC News, Anwar Jakoet, founder of the Anwar Jakoet Foundation, traced his organisation’s support for ECDs back to the Covid-19 period, when the foundation first assisted five centres in Ocean View. That initial effort has since expanded to support 107 ECDs across the Western Cape.
“We started with 5 ECDs at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, and now we are 107 ECDs across the broader Western Cape,” said Jakoet.
He added that the foundation, which primarily operates in rural areas, has sponsored feeding schemes, sporting activities, and other basic necessities at various ECD centres across the province.
“We’ve looked at it in a holistic manner, so we supply everything from your breakfast items through to education equipment, sports equipment, and, where necessary, blankets in winter. We also provide grocery parcels to educators and principals, because in those areas they are lucky to make R500 a month,” stated Jakoet.
Listen to the full interview here:
Photo: Supplied
