Help kids thrive, Coaching the Caregivers

WCED and DEDAT completed an MOU for collaborative work in October 2019 after many attempts to consolidate joint work over the past few years. This work included the Apprenticeship Game Changer which produced learnership opportunities for 10 000 learners

In March 2020, when COVID struck, discussions began among the partners about how to respond in a constructive and creative way to support learning in the context of disrupted and staggered schooling.

The WCED developed support packs mainly on digital platforms but this proved to have limited effectiveness due to challenges with access to digital devices and connectivity for large numbers of teachers and the majority of learners. Discussions then began on the exploration of alternatives. The WCED topped up the budgets of 837 schools that were identified as being in need to print materials for learners with limited access to digital resources. Once this was underway it became necessary to motivate learners to participate in learning and capacitate caregivers to support learning at home and in the community.