HAPPINESS OF THE FIRST DAY OF THE SECOND TERM AT SCHOOL.

The Grade R learners of Sediba Tsebo Early Learning Centre are very excited for the first day at school.

The Grade R learners of Sediba Tsebo Early Learning.

BY: HOPE MOTAU

When other children are crying when they arrive at school for their first time, the Grade R learners of Sediba Tsebo Early Learning Centre are excited for their first time arrival at school in the second term. The South Africa’s future leaders started their first day with a beautiful uniform, of yellow shirts for both boys and girls with gray trousers for boys and gray skirts for girls. The black shoes are compulsory to them. Obakeng Sentle (5) who started learning at the centre since from the age of one says he was longing for this place and he can’t wait for Grade 1 next year.

Sediba Tsebo Early Learning Centre was established in 1996 by Maria Moekeletjie of Mabopane Block V who is currently still working at the centre. Moekeletjie who is 45 years old says the love of children inspired her to start this centre. She was working in isolation back then when the centre was just started with eleven children. The support of the families within the community inspired more her to continue with the centre where lot of children were joining the centre every day. She employed Linda Chauke, Surprise Manyaka to help in the daily basis work.

The centre is taking care of children from the age of 0 to 6. This year the centre opened with more than 80 children and the centre is still looking forward for other children to come through. The government or the Basic Education Department is not helping this centre even though there is no school within Block V and the surrounding.  “We are calling upon our government to help us with anything they can, so that we could raise up these future leaders. They can help us financially, giving us food for this children or build the class rooms for us,” said Maria Moekeletjie, the founder of the centre.

 The centre has only one building it is operating in as a class and three sharks which are used as classes and the other one as kitchen. The children pay about R100 a month depending on the age of a child, so that the centre could buy food for them and pay its employees.