The Crèche: Strengthening the Dreams of Both Parents and Students by Whitney Engelke

On January 11th we started our day by heading to the Zwelihle Township. Once there we visited Nomzamo, a local crèche. A crèche is a nursery, and there are many crèches within the township and South Africa in general. However, Nomzamo was not the first crèche we visited. On Monday we traveled to Khayelitsha where we went to Gloria’s Educare, which had previously burned down and was then reconstructed by visitors’ contributions following the tragic fire. Both crèches are for children under the age of six, which is the age at which children can start attending school. Crèches are popular options for working parents in the township because it gives them a safe place for their children to stay during the day without costing them a fortune. The crèches in both townships cost 50 Rand a month per child, and this rate includes meals. In the United States, this would be equivalent to less than ten US $8 a month. As word has spread about the local crèches and as more adults are finding work in the rebuilding of South Africa, crèche owners, managers and staff alike are being pleaded with to open the crèche during the holiday months, so that parents who cannot get time off for the entire holiday to watch their children, but they are still concerned for their well-being and want them to be watched over by someone they know and trust will have an alternative. When we first arrived at Nomzamo, the children greeted us with nursery rhymes in Xhosa and we tried to return the welcome with song and dance renditions of “Itsy-Bitsy Spider” and “I’m a Little Teapot.” It may not have been as graceful as the children’s songs, but they still seemed to enjoy it. Later, as some members of our group prepared lunch, others were able interact with the children, which was a great learning experience for all parties involved. After lunch, we were given a tour of the township by a famous whalecrier named Wilson. As we walked around the neighborhood (some of us more slowly than others as we lugged the added weight of small children), it really hit home how the crèches in all the townships are truly sanctuaries for both parents and children. What makes the crèche so important to townships is that it keeps the children safe as well as prevents them from engaging in bad behavior. Individuals in the townships also value the importance of educating the children because they view the nurseries as the gateway to a better life and brighter future. In the crèche they teach the young children the basic tools of education like the alphabet, how to hold a writing utensil as well as nursery rhymes and other songs. This may not seem like much, but the crèches do a great job of prepping children for their first year of schooling.