Over the past 26 years, Diepsloot Preschools Project (DPP) has developed more than 30 preschools in Diepsloot and other areas such as Polokwane, Bushbuckridge, and Sinangwana. The DDP project was developed and founded Patti Hanley who wanted to uplift the community. After volunteering at a preschool in Diepsloot, she realized that there was an urgent need for this project. More than 7,000 children have received a solid grounding because they attended a DPP-developed preschool.
DPP aims to develop and sustain preschools and introduce a structured education system based on the government’s CAPS objectives, which would facilitate better education standards for young preschool children in the townships. Britehouse sponsored the development of various preschools during FY2015 until FY2018. The sponsorship enabled the preschools to get equipment such as furniture and stationery, and much-needed maintenance and aided in the development of the new preschools. The funds were also used to pay a stipend to some of the additional teachers.
Dimension Data has been working with DPP since 1993 when Bruce Watson donated a portion of the funds that were used to build a schoolhouse that replaced the original storeroom that was initially used as a preschool to teach children from the Diepsloot and Riversands areas.“ I’ve met a number of children from our very first class at Riversands back in 1993 who have achieved wonderful things. Kgomotso Phiri achieved a university degree and is a journalist says Hanley. The project also up skills for unemployed women and has helped them to start their own businesses.
Britehouse provided sponsorship for 36 Diepsloot adult learners to attend a year-long business administration course which they completed in April 2018.During the past year, DPP has up skilled 109 people on ECD, and business administration. DPP does not receive any funding from the government. According to Hanley “Funds for the development and ongoing support of the preschools and the adult education courses have come from fundraising golf days, and ladies’ luncheons, as well as collaborative corporate partnerships, like the one we enjoy with Dimension Data Britehouse.”
Maria Baloyi built the first preschool building DPP in Diepsloot Ext 5 in 2010 called Little Lambs.She was inspired to start the school when she saw how many young children were running around unsupervised in Diepsloot, she wanted to provide a place of safety educationally stimulating for them. “We started with four children and were growing fast, soon we had 20 children sitting on mats on the floor of a garage”.She then met Hanley who assisted her to build the bigger school and today there are 106 children at that school.The opening of these pre-schools has created new jobs, and this too has a ripple effect throughout the communities.
