A view from the Finance Desk

Hello Friends,

I am happy to be blogging today, something we finance people rarely get to do. Creating child safe environments is a dynamic process that involves active participation and responsibility by everyone in the community – individuals, families, government and non-government organisations and community groups. Sharing responsibility for the care and protection of children helps to develop a stronger, more child-focused community. 

A community conscious of safe spaces for its children can: 

• care for all children; 
• identify vulnerable children; support children who have been abused and neglected; 
• and prevent further harm to children. 

At Nhaka Foundation our programs help communities and schools to provide safe environments for children. Through our Early Childhood Development (ECD) outdoor playground equipment construction and ECD Classroom renovation we have been able to create a safe playing environment for ECD pupils. A child's environment affects their development and behavior. A well-planned, indoor and outdoor environment makes it easier for children to learn, to get along with one another and become independent. Effective environments can also make things easier for the parents, teachers and guardians. Be it a school or home setting, a positive learning environment is crucial for a child. A positive learning environment not only consists of the physical setting, but it also encompasses how the child feels or responds to the setting.

What I have learnt through the work we do at Nhaka Foundation? Young children need teachers who take time to work with them individually, in small groups, and sometimes with the entire class–to help them develop their cognitive and social skills, their language abilities, and their interest in learning new things about the world. Through our ECD para professional and teacher training program teachers receive in service training to build their capacity in line with child development trends. The focus of a child safe environment is not simply to create an environment that minimises risk or danger. Rather it is about building an environment which is both child-safe and child-friendly, where children feel respected, valued and encouraged to reach their full potential.

A lot still needs to be done in the communities we serve. Being the "number cruncher" means that I get to see how we spend our funding directly on the children we serve each and every day. We need more and you can help in your individual or collective efforts. Visit our webpage DONATE button and partner with us as we carry out this work.

Until next time,

Viviane