Thirst for Knowledge Turns to Hunger

“Schools may be closed, but we need to continue to support principals and teachers. And we need to try to get learning packs out to the children from affiliated schools throughout the Greater Knysna Area”. That was the message to Knysna Education Trust’s (KET) staff. Monthly reports continued, but instead of comments about literacy and numeracy a new theme emerged. People are hungry.

KET’s staff had spent many hours gathering and verifying data for the lockdown feeding initiative driven and delivered by Rotary and supported by the Municipal Joint Command Council. Organisations such as ePap have been continuing with their amazing work. Yet many of our children and parents seemed unable to access the food parcels and food vouchers, this despite the absolute best efforts of so many people.

Sadly many parents were either unwilling, or unable to pay school fees while their children were in lock down. What became clear was that registered preschools funded by the Department of Social Development continued to receive their subsidies and hence some sort of income. They were mandated to continue paying part of the teacher’s monthly salary and run soup kitchens for the children registered in their preschools. For unfunded preschools, many located in the most vulnerable communities, income dried up and principals had nowhere to turn. They could not pay teacher salaries as parents didn’t or couldn’t pay monthly fees and the preschools could not provide their learners with that one decent daily meal.
Trustees and managers agreed. Educating malnourished children after lock down was unthinkable. Allowing principals and teachers to go without even a meagre income was unacceptable. Donors agreed. Funds previously allocated to education had to be diverted to an emergency feeding and support scheme.

A total of R600, 000 was set aside from much needed funds for feeding during the lock down. Later an additional R115 000 was added after Le Creuset approved that their donation to KET could be used in the pandemic crisis.
The team leapt into action. Clear criteria were established as to which schools most needed help. It was decided that 26 unfunded vulnerable schools affiliated to KET would receive weekly grocer vouchers. This enabled the principals to provide a daily meal to 808 learners and it gave 113 principals and teachers a little financial help to buy gas or electricity as well as data to communicate with KET’s staff. The Le Creuset money meant that a further 5 schools could get assistance, so that 13 principals and teachers received some income and 123 learners now receive a daily meal. KET’s staff arranged permits for kitchens to operate at the schools.

Critically, KET has been able to link the feeding scheme with handing out education packs funded from the Blocks for Growth program, so that these vulnerable children continue through play to receive appropriate stimulation and are not left behind developmentally.

KET tracks the feeding programme by random checks and reports and photos from the preschools. With uncertainty about the opening date for Early Childhood Centres (ECD), this feeding scheme may need to be in place for months and additional funding from generous donors is going to be required. To compound this, the ECD centres will need in the region of R5,500 each to enable them to buy the specified items that will allow them to re-open – thermometers, masks, gloves, sanitizer, disinfectant, paper towels, and so forth. These schools just do not have this kind of money.

Messages of heartfelt thanks have rolled in from preschools who were in dire straits and who had received no support for the first few weeks of the lock down. Others, such as Tinkerland and the Sakhiseni Feeding Scheme sent this: “Yes, with the support of Knysna Edu Trust we were able to feed more people, especially children within the community! Thank you very much from all at Tinkerland and Sakhiseni!”

We would like to thank our wonderful collaborators, donors and preschool supporters Rotary Knysna and ePap that relentlessly stand together with KET to ensure that no child is left behind or hungry.

KET’s vision remains “Ensuring young children thrive through quality Early Childhood Development programmes, competent teachers, and caregivers, in safe, healthy, and enriched learning environments.” But for now, making sure children and their principals and teachers are not hungry, is our short term goal.

KET in Lock Down - A view from a Manager

Passion, commitment, and dedication are not office-bound values, and in this time of the Covid-19 lock down, and the very unfamiliar Work From Home regimen, this has never been more strongly demonstrated. It has not been easy, especially for an organisation that prides itself on its face-to-face contacts with principals and teachers and learners. As with so many organisations, KET had little time to plan for the lock down. And yet, five weeks in, we can state with conviction, that much has been achieved and our stakeholders have, in no way, been forgotten and left with minimal support. Our staff have seen to that and they have been fantastic.

Our Chairman has written a broad explanation of some of our achievements during the first few weeks of the lock down. It is worth repeating some of these while adding additional details about how beneficiaries have been helped.

For example:

• Working with the principals of our ECD Centres, we have assisted Rotary with information regarding which preschools (teachers and principals) and the preschool’s families are most vulnerable and in need of Food Security vouchers or parcels. The families that participate in the Adopt-a-Child’s Education (ACE) program were also registered for Food Security Vouchers.

• We have also spent considerable time and effort to support and adjust lectures and assignments to prevent the FET students from having to re-do their whole year.  

• All staff members have been supporting, training and assisting our principals on an emotional and professional level.  We have given them information regarding Covid-19 and how to stay healthy and we have distributed forms and advice for applying to UIF and other platforms. 

• We sent out activities that children can do at home. 

• Schools funded by the Department of Social Development have been advised of what is expected of them during the lockdown regarding feeding, while they have also been receiving assistance about how to register in order to keep their funding during lockdown. By staying in contact, the principals have been supported and encouraged to keep going.  

• In the face of concerns about future funding as the virus impacts on the worlds’ economies, our Development Director has been applying for funding and writing proposals, to address the preschool’s needs to sustain their operations.

• We have obtained a permit to deliver ePap to preschools in Plettenberg Bay. 

• Finally, but by no means last, some staff members have done online training to improve their skills.  

KET has been busy.  Now we wait for the announcement on when ECD Centres will be permitted to re-open. The Board and Managers have busied themselves planning for life in Levels 4 and on, researching options regarding KET’s future and how we can continue to provide quality education for the youngest learners. We cannot wait to get back to working with all the stakeholders and hope that they remain safe and healthy through these testing times.

Knysna Education Trust and Covid-19

The Trustees and Management of The Knysna Education Trust, like so may worldwide, read the international press and knew that South Africa was not going to be spared the effects of this pandemic. Well before the lock down was announced the decision was made to initiate a Work From Home regimen, and the office was staffed by just a skeleton team.

In preparation for the coming lock down and closure of ECD Centres, staff contacted the principals of our 79 affiliated ECD schools. Work sheets to assist parents to stimulate their children were distributed.

Work from Home, despite being well planned, with specific tasks assigned and regular communications between team members, was not without its challenges. Not all staff had access to data or Wi-Fi; modems did not all work well. And, as time went on, some staff did not have enough work to do at home. Accordingly, some staff were placed on compulsory paid leave. Our Managers and some other team members had plenty to do, writing reports, communicating with all our stakeholders, catching up on work, and staying in contact with principals and teachers.

It was immediately apparent to our team that nutrition was going to be a challenge in lock down for many. Too many learners only get one decent meal a day at the schools they attend, and now they were faced with not even getting that one meal a day. Getting food parcels and food vouchers to the most vulnerable families became a priority. Working with the school principals, our team compiled a list of those most in need. This was passed on to the Municipal Joint Operating Council and Rotary, where the experience of the Knysna fires enabled them to set up proper distribution channels and controls. Our own school, The Learning Tree, was able to source food parcels for the parents. These were generously donated by Land Rover and Nutriwell.

As the lock down was extended we were compelled to request every member of staff, including managers, to take some compulsory leave. Many were reluctant as they still had mountains of work to get through, but the team spirit among all the staff has been fantastic, and they have all helped each other to get through this difficult period.

The Trustees are concerned that funding will become difficult over the coming months and maybe years. With this in mind we have, most reluctantly, postponed salary increases until the future financial picture is more certain. Other projects with major implications for KET’s balance sheet have been put on hold. We have ensured the donors have been kept informed of our work over this period, and we are in regular communication with the sponsors of major projects.

Our attention has now turned to possible scenarios when the government announces a phased exit from lock down. As this becomes clearer we will plan for the re-opening of ECD centres, we will advise principals s and teachers on the recommended protocols, and we will assist with planning to catch up on the various curriculums. Ensuring young children have access to excellent education remains KET’s primary focus.

Our Department of Social Development projects, registering of schools, and testing children and assisting those in need to for school readiness are also vitally important. Our teams will  devise plans to make up the lost time and make sure no school in our area does not get appropriate assistance, and that every learner who needs help gets access to the tools needed.

In times of crisis one can see the worth of an organisations people. At KET we have amazing managers and a committed and hard-working team. They have all been brilliant during this difficult time.