Parents graduate from Early Childhood Development training workshops

Around 200 parents from local communities in Adelaide, Bedford, Somerset East and Cookhouse were recently awarded certificates, having completed a series of hands-on school readiness training and mentoring workshops, aimed to provide them with the skills to prepare their young children for formal schooling

In partnership with Siyawela “Ready to Succeed”, Cookhouse Wind Farm implemented the second cohort of an ECD: Parenting Programme, Bringing Parents to the Education Table. This training programme was completed at the end of August 2018, with 191 parents receiving certificates for attending more than 50% of the training workshops and mentoring sessions. Whilst 112 parents received gold certificates achieving 88% attendance, and above.

Ntombekaya Zito, a parent from Somerset East, shared the following, “I never realized that I was my child’s first teacher. I only realized that I am my child’s first teacher because I am the one who teaches him respect, sets boundaries and loves and cares for him. I have now learnt such a lot about basic concepts, the importance of healthy food and routine. I have learnt not to shout or give meaningless warnings to my child. The exercises and healthy eating habits have also helped me to keep my blood pressure under control.”

The parents who attended the BPET programme will continue to receive mentoring from the Mentor Moms stationed within their respective communities.

“Workshops are interactive and loads of fun, packed with interactive activities parents can do at home with their children, whilst the home visits reinforce what is learnt in the workshops and provides the extra needed support,” explained Elton Gordon, Special Projects Manager for Cookhouse Wind Farm.