To better equip the Tšwelopele Crèche to meet its educational and nutritional needs so that the children it serves will grow, better able to fulfill their potentials in society.
Objective 1: Improve English Education. By the end of the third month of the project, lay the foundation for the teaching of English at the crèche.
Factor in Conceptual Map: Trained Teachers & Educational Materials.
Project Assumptions:
(1) There is a lack of English education at the crèche.
(2) Both teachers and parents of children at the crèche indicated that teaching English at an early stage will help the young children to better fulfill their potentials later in life, including getting jobs.
Underlying Assumptions:
(1) University Masters students will be available to help meet this objective.
(2) Educational materials will be available for purchase that will help to meet this objective.
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Activity 1: Build a Relationship with Local Universities. Build a relationship with local university Masters ECD and ESL students, such that they will perform their practicals at the crèche.
· Why do this activity? (1) Will provide continual source of young, energetic individuals trained in the fields of early childhood development (ECD) and English as a second language (ESL), (2) as well as local, community-based institutional support.
· How will this activity be carried out?
· Who will be responsible for this activity? Retha Gaigher, with the aid of Elyse Jurgen and Tony Robalik.
· When will this activity take place?
· Assumptions: (1) A university will be interested in such a relationship; and (2) there will be students available capable of instructing in both English and Sepedi (the predominant language of Indermark and the crèche).
· Prerequisites: (1) Retha Gaigher made initial contact and set up meeting; (2) meeting took place successfully; and (3) agreement established.
Activity 2: Procure Educational Materials. Procure educational materials that will aid in the teaching of English.
· Why do this activity? To aid crèche teachers and Masters students in their English instruction.
· How will this activity be carried out? By going to local stores (in Makhado) and finding the best and most affordable supplies.
· When will this activity take place? Elyse and Tony.
· When will this activity take place? By the end of the second week of the third month.
· Assumptions: (1) Such materials will be available for purchase in the above-named town.
· Prerequisites: (1) Consultations have taken place with the masters students to determine their needs for teaching English.
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Objective 1b (Plan B): Improve English Education. By the end of the third month of the project, lay the foundation for the teaching of English at the crèche.
Factor in Conceptual Map: Trained Teachers & Educational Materials.
Project Assumptions:
(1) There is a lack of English education at the crèche.
(2) Both teachers and parents of children at the crèche indicated that teaching English at an early stage will help the young children to better fulfill their potentials later in life, including getting jobs.
Underlying Assumptions:
(1) Primary school teachers in Indermark will be available to teach at the crèche.
(2) Educational materials will be available for purchase that will help to meet this objective.
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Activity 1b: Recruit Local English Educators. Recruit primary school teachers who will be willing and able to teach English at the crèche three days per week.
· Why do this activity? (1) Will provide trained teachers confident in their English-speaking abilities; (2) these individuals will be local, thus increasing the sense of self-reliance within the community; and (3) by recruiting local teachers, we can, in a small way, have a positive impact on the poverty situation in Indermark.
· How will this activity be carried out? By communicating directly with possible candidate teachers in Indermark.
· Who will be responsible for this activity? Elyse and Tony, with the aid of Frederica.
· When will this activity take place? By the end of the third week of the second month.
· Assumptions: (1) There will be teachers available capable of instructing in English.
· Prerequisites: (1) Travel to Indermark and locate suitable candidates.
Activity 2b: Train Local English Educators. Create fund whereby English educators can go for basic ECD training at Faranani.
· Why do this activity? (1) So that English educators can be equipped with the proper training to assist in their instruction at the crèche.
· How will this activity be carried out? By transferring money from the grant funds to the Gaighers’ American University account.
· Who will be responsible for this activity? Elyse and Tony will create the budget and oversee the money transfer; Retha Gaigher will administer the funds.
· When will this activity take place? By the end of the second week of the third month.
· Assumptions: (1) The cost of the trainings will not increase in cost.
· Prerequisites: (1) Speak with Joy Nel, manager of Faranani; and (2) create budget to give to Retha.
Activity 3b: Procure Educational Materials. Procure educational materials that will aid in the teaching of English.
· Why do this activity? To aid crèche teachers and English educators in their English instruction.
· How will this activity be carried out? By going to local stores (in Makhado) and finding the best and most affordable supplies.
· When will this activity take place? Elyse and Tony.
· When will this activity take place? By the end of the second week of the third month.
· Assumptions: (1) Such materials will be available for purchase in the above-named town.
· Prerequisites: (1) Consultations have taken place with the English educators to determine their needs for teaching English.
Objective 2: Improve General Education. By the end of the third month, improve the foundation for general education at the crèche.
Factor in Conceptual Map: Teacher Salaries, Training Workshops, Teacher Contracts, and Educational Materials.
Project Assumptions:
(1) The crèche lacks the financial stability to pay fair wages to the teachers.
(2) The teachers commonly pay out of their own personal funds to attend training workshops.
(3) Once some teachers complete higher levels of training, they leave the crèche for better paying teaching positions.
(4)The crèche also has little money to purchase consumable educational materials.
Underlying Assumptions:
(1) It will be financially feasible to raise salary wages for the teachers.
(2) Teachers will be willing to sign contracts.
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Activity 1: End-of-Year Bonus. Create fund whereby crèche staff will receive a bonus of R200 in December, the end of the school year.
· Why do this activity? The staff is not paid in December when the crèche is not in session, and this hurts them greatly financially.
· How will this activity be carried out? By transferring money from the grant funds to the Gaighers’ American University account.
· Who will be responsible for this activity? Elyse and Tony will create the budget and oversee the money transfer; Retha Gaigher will give the funds to Frederica, who will then pay the staff.
· When will this activity take place? By the end of the third month.
· Assumptions: (1) Money is available to make this happen.
· Prerequisites: None.
Activity 2: Teacher Training. Create fund whereby crèche teachers can go for ECD training at Faranani.
· Why do this activity? (1) So that teachers can be equipped with the proper training to assist in their instruction at the crèche.
· How will this activity be carried out? By transferring money from the grant funds to the Gaighers’ American University account.
· Who will be responsible for this activity? Elyse and Tony will create the budget and oversee the money transfer; Retha Gaigher will administer the funds.
· When will this activity take place? By the end of the first week of the third month.
· Assumptions: (1) The cost of the trainings will not increase in cost.
· Prerequisites: (1) Speak with Joy Nel, manager of Faranani; and (2) create budget to give to Retha.
Activity 3: Teacher Contracts. Create a contract for teachers to sign so that they will feel obligated to stay at the crèche for a period of not less than three years upon receiving training.
· Why do this activity? For the continual commitment of current teacher and for the financial stability of the crèche.
· How will this activity be carried out? Elyse and Tony will create the draft contract and give it to Retha to implement.
· Who will be responsible for this activity? Elyse and Tony, in conjunction with Retha.
· When will this activity take place? By the end of the third week of the third month.
· Assumptions: (1) The teachers will be willing to accept contracts and willing, moreover, to remain at the crèche for at least two years; and (2) Frederica will not object to teacher contracts.
· Prerequisites: (1) Get legal documents drawn up.
Activity 4: Procure Educational Materials. Procure educational materials that will aid in general instruction in the classroom.
· Why do this activity? (1) To provide the crèche teachers with both consumable and non-consumable educational materials that will help to meet their general educational needs. (2) Additionally, the children, especially the youngest, are greatly in need of stimulating toys to enhance their cognitive growth.
· How will this activity be carried out? By going to local stores (in Makhado and Polokwane) and finding the best and most affordable items.
· Who will be responsible for this activity? Elyse and Tony.
· When will this activity take place? By the end of the second month.
· Assumptions: None.
· Prerequisites: (1) Consultations have taken place with Frederica to determine the crèche’s needs for general educational materials; (2) discussions have been held with Joy Nel to determine appropriate sources and types of educational materials and children’s toys; and (3) project team has traveled to Polokwane to find children’s books written in Sepedi.
Activity 5: Procure Financial Management Materials. Procure financial management materials to aid in the management of the crèche’s finances.
· Why do this activity? (1) Through an interview with Frederica, we learned that she needs (a) a basic calculator and (b) an “analysis” book for managing the crèche’s funds. (2) Improving the financial management will allow the crèche’s resources to be used wisely for the enhancement of education.
· How will this activity be carried out? By going to local stores (in Makhado) and finding the best and most affordable supplies.
· Who will be responsible for this activity? Elyse and Tony.
· When will this activity take place? By the end of the second month.
· Assumptions: (1) Local stores will provide the “analysis” book. (2) Upon receiving these two items, the financial management of the crèche will improve.
· Prerequisites: (1) Consultations have taken place with Frederica to determine the crèche’s needs for general educational materials.
Objective 3: Improve Nutrition. By the end of the third month, improve the crèche’s self-sufficiency in food production so that it can better meet the nutritional needs of its children.
Factor in Conceptual Model: Soil Quality, Pests, Maintenance, Seeds, Fruit Trees, and Purchase Cooking Fuel.
Project Assumptions:
(1) After speaking to a dietitian, we have learned that the food provided at the crèche lacks vital nutrients necessary for growing children.
(2) The crèche has already successfully grown vegetables in their garden which have been used to supplement the children’s diets.
(3) Finally, the crèche’s financial instability leads us to believe that a focus on food self-sufficiency is more sustainable than buying food outright.
Underlying Assumptions:
(1) Improving the ability for the crèche to produce its own food will in turn improve the diets of the children.
(2) Improving the ability for the crèche to produce its own food will assist in its poor financial situation.
(3) The crèche staff will commit to the constant care required for producing food on a continual basis.
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Activity 1: Soil Quality in Garden Plots. Improve garden plots by improving soil quality.
· Why do this activity? For the long-term productivity of the garden plots, it will be necessary to fertilize them every 2-3 years.
· How will this activity be carried out? (1) Travel to Indermark to take soil samples from the garden, (2) then afterwards submit the soil to the Louis Trichardt Agricultural Extension Office for testing. (3) A local extension officer will instruct the gardener on proper fertilizer application (see Activity 5).
· Who will be responsible for this activity? Elyse and Tony.
· When will this activity take place? By the end of the second week of the third month.
· Assumptions: (1) The quality of the vegetables grown in the garden is directly dependent on the soil quality, which is already known to be poor.
· Prerequisites: (1) Consult with local agricultural experts; (2) conduct soil survey; and (3) use results to determine appropriate fertilizer type.
Activity 2: Procure Seeds. Procure, in bulk, tomato, onion, beetroot, cabbage, carrot, and spinach more? seeds for x growing seasons.
· Why do this activity? (1) To financially assist in the food production at the crèche. (2) Additionally for companion planting gardening techniques, which acts as an environmentally-friendly pest and disease deterrent.
· How will this activity be carried out? (1) Traveling to Agro-Tech and NTK to purchase the bulk seeds. (2) A local extension officer will instruct the gardener on proper seed planting techniques, including companion planting (see Activity 5).
· Who will be responsible for this activity? Elyse and Tony.
· When will this activity take place? By the end of the second week of the third month.
· Assumptions: (1) Seeds will remain viable in storage for several growing seasons.
· Prerequisites: (1) Consultations with the crèche gardener about what seeds to purchase; and (2) meeting with Adam Ward to determine various companion planting techniques.
Activity 3: Control Pests. Control the diamond-back moth insect pest that is currently feeding on the underside of the cabbage leaves.
· Why do this activity? Cabbage is a staple food and cash crop for the crèche, but its growth is stunted by the diamond-back moth larvae.
· How will this activity be carried out? (1) Researching ecologically appropriate, economically, and culturally feasible methods to control this pest through organic gardening literature provided by Adam Ward. (2) A local extension officer will instruct the gardener on proper application of organic pest control methods (see Activity 5).
· Who will be responsible for this activity? Elyse and Tony.
· When will this activity take place? By the end of the second week of the third month.
· Assumptions: (1) Upon controlling the diamond-back moth infestation, the crèche will prepare the cabbage for the children as a source of nutrients and also sell the remaining plants as a source of income; and (2) diamond-back moths are the only pests in the garden currently.
· Prerequisites: (1) Meeting with Adam Ward to determine organic gardening methods to deter the insect from infesting the cabbage.
Activity 4: Plant Fruit Trees. Plant paw paw, mango, orange, and avocado saplings at the crèche.
· Why do this activity? (1) The production of fruit on site will provide the children with nutrients currently not readily available in their diets. (2) Growing their own fruits is more economically sound rather than purchasing fruits from a local grocer, at potentially fluctuating costs.
· How will this activity be carried out? Gardener will plant the saplings under the supervision of the extension officer (see Activity 5).
· Who will be responsible for this activity? Elyse and Tony.
· When will this activity take place? By the end of the second week of the third month.
· Assumptions: (1) Tree saplings will be available for purchase and ready for planting; (2) transportation will not be overly problematic; and (3) space and proper growing conditions exist on site.
· Prerequisites: (1) Meeting with Laucky and Retha to determine where to purchase trees; (2) transport them to the crèche.
Activity 5: Formal Instruction. Agricultural extension officers train crèche gardener in fertilizer application, seed planting, natural pest control methods (including companion planting), and fruit tree care.
· Why do this activity? (1) For the long-term productivity of the garden, the staff needs training.
· How will this activity be carried out? Laucky and other local extension officer will conduct the training.
· Who will be responsible for this activity? Elyse and Tony.
· When will this activity take place? By the end of the second week of the third month.
· Assumptions: (1) The crèche staff will be available in December. (2) They will be receptive to the extension officers’ training and make use of the knowledge.
· Prerequisites: (1) Meeting with Laucky, Louis Trichardt extension officer to arrange for the instruction; and (2) soil analysis is complete.
Activity 6: Children Gardening. Involve the children in the care of the garden, at least once a week, as part of their educational curriculum.
· Why do this activity? (1) Assistance in the garden, such as weeding, is necessary when the staffing at the crèche is limited due to illness, etc.; and (2) engaging the children in this activity will enhance the children’s understanding and appreciation of their local environment and food production; and (3) this activity will increase the sustainability and productivity of the garden.
· How will this activity be carried out? Addressing the beneficial value of conducting this activity at the crèche to the gardener, Frederica, and the other teachers.
· Who will be responsible for this activity? Elyse and Tony.
· When will this activity take place? By the end of the second month.
· Assumptions: (1) The staff will agree that this activity is worthwhile and (2) the children are willing to partake in gardening maintenance.
· Prerequisites: (1) Consulting with Frederica to discuss the feasibility of this activity.
Activity 7: Gardener Salary. Pay for a gardener to take care of the garden in the month of December.
· Why do this activity? (1) Currently the garden does not receive regular maintenance in the month of December, largely due to lack of adequate funds to pay the current gardener; (2) December is right in the middle of the summer growing and planting season, and the garden needs a great deal of care; (3) since no children are at the crèche during this time, there is the possibility for Tšwelopele to sell its produce at a profit.
· How will this activity be carried out? By transferring money from the grant funds to the Gaighers’ American University account.
· Who will be responsible for this activity? In the first year, Elyse and Tony will give the cash directly to Frederica to give to Grace (the current gardener). For subsequent years, Elyse and Tony will create the budget and oversee the money transfer; Retha Gaigher will give the funds to Frederica, who will then pay the gardener.
· When will this activity take place? By the end of the third month.
· Assumptions: (1) Money is available.
· Prerequisites: (1) Consulting with Frederica to discuss the feasibility of this activity.
Activity 8: Pay Food Debt. Pay Crèche’s Food Debt.
· Why do this activity? (1) So the crèche can buy food with cash (R289 / bag) instead of purchasing it with credit (R310 / bag), thus saving them much-needed money.
· How will this activity be carried out? By giving Frederica a lump sump to cover the debt.
· Who will be responsible for this activity? Elyse and Tony.
· When will this activity take place? By the end of the third week of the first month.
· Assumptions: (1) With Retha’s help, the crèche can stay out of debt in the future.
· Prerequisites: (1) Consulting with Frederica on the amount of debt.
Activity 9: Chickens as Fertilizer and Egg Protein. Donate several chickens to the crèche, whose eggs will be used as a sustainable source of protein, and whose manure can be used to fertilize the garden plots.
· Why do this activity? (1) The children currently lack adequate fats and protein in their diets; (2) buying food to fill this need is problematic, as the crèche is in a poor financial situation; (3) additionally, the garden plots are in need of periodic and affordable fertilization to maintain their fertility; (4) thus, this activity can fulfill two needs in a manner that is sustainable.
· How will this activity be carried out? Project team will procure chickens and then transport them to the Tšwelopele Crèche in Indermark.
· Who will be responsible for this activity? Elyse and Tony.
· When will this activity take place? By the end of the third month.
· Assumptions: (1) Chickens can be free-range and need hardly any maintenance; (2) the chickens will not be slaughtered and eaten; (3) all stakeholders involved will find this an acceptable solution.
· Prerequisites: (1) Find a chicken-seller. (2) Meet with stakeholders to discuss the feasibility of this activity.
Activity 10: Solar Cooker. Procure solar cooker(s).
· Why do this activity? (1) Using a solar cooker to prepare foods at the crèche will be more financially sustainable than buying firewood on a monthly basis. (2) This activity will also improve the health of the cook so he will exposed less to wood-smoke. (3) Using a solar cooker is less harmfully impactful on the environment, producing less green house gases and no need for natural resources for its functioning.
· How will this activity be carried out? Purchase solar cookers and train the cook how to use the device.
· Who will be responsible for this activity? Elyse and Tony.
· When will this activity take place? By the end of the third month.
· Assumptions: (1) A solar cooker will suffice for their cooking needs. (2) This activity will be culturally acceptable in place of using wood.
· Prerequisites: (1) Consulting with Johannes and Frederica on the feasibility of implementing this new cooking method; (2) consult with local solar cooker providers.
last updated 5 December 2007
Management Plan v3.3.doc
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