Early Childhood Development, South Africa
True North trains, equips, and subsequently registers Early Childhood Development centres in one of South Africa’s most disadvantaged informal settlements, Vrygrond. What starts as an informal day care in a run-down shack, turns into a high quality, registered and government supported ECD after True North conducts its intervention.
Originally I came from the Eastern Cape but I spent 24 years in Cape Town before realising that my community in Overcome Heights desperately needed a change. As a working mother, I struggled daily to find reliable childcare, which inspired me to open my own centre. I started with absolutely nothing—no spoons, no chairs, and no resources. What started with 5 children quickly grew to 42 in a single month, prompting me to resign from my job and dedicate myself to Early Childhood Development (ECD). Initially, many parents viewed my centre just as a safe space, but by involving the community, we transformed that perception into an understanding that real, foundational education was happening within our walls.
The big turning point for my centre came through my partnership with True North and through implementing their Rainbow Development Framework (RDF). This clear, easy-to-implement journey provided the essential leadership and management training I needed to run my preschool as both a high-quality educational facility and a sustainable business. Guided by their RDF, True North supplied expensive resources, a new building, and curriculum training registered with the Department of Basic Education. Today, the most rewarding part of this journey is hearing from primary schools that our children are thriving and “school-ready.” I am immensely grateful to those who support True North; their investment in the RDF has allowed me to turn a place of struggle into a beacon of light and inclusion for our children.” – Nontutu Mroxiso, Principal of Little Lambs Educare
