AID grant agreement no. 674-0302-G-SS-3043-00 to Queenstown Early Learning Center (QELC) to provide outreach, training, and support services to educare groups and primary school teachers working on farms, in isolated rural villages, in marginalized urban areas, and in resettlement areas under the education support and training, [ESAT] project

In the Western Transkei, where 67% of the new community-based educare centers have been set up, QELC will train 30 new teachers (in addition to the 110 currently being trained) and establish a corresponding number of new educare initiatives. Additionally, QELC will expand the complementary Parent Educare Program by conducting 8 workshops in each of 5 subregions, covering how children develop and learn, how parents become more involved in educare centers, fundraising, committee skills training, basic bookkeeping, nutrition, health and safety. Approximately 100 participants will attend each workshop. QELC will also expand its outreach program to farms and small rural towns in the Northern Border and North Eastern Cape. Specifically, grant funds will enable an additional 20 educare teachers (raising the total to 90) to attend a 4-week intensive Educare Teacher Outreach Course. Two 3-day refresher courses for teachers who have already been trained are also planned. The outreach program will support approximately 50 farm and 10 peri-urban educare projects and create employment opportunities for at least 70 women. The Parent Educare Program which will be offered on a quarterly basis in each region. Finally, QELC will introduce a pilot program for Junior Primary teachers currently working on farms, in isolated rural villages, and resettlement areas. QELC will establish localized support networks for teachers participating in the program and forge links between local educare centers and primary schools. Approximately 75 primary school teachers working in deprived communities in schools administered by the Department of Education and Training, and the Transkei and Ciskei Education Department will be targeted in this component.