In a beautiful full-circle moment, more than 70 ECD centres came together to walk for Masikhule – the organisation that has spent years helping their teachers and little learners grow and thrive.
Cape Town, South Africa (13 October 2026) – The principals of more than 70 early childhood development (ECD) centres in the Helderberg area that work with Masikhule recently decided to give back to the organisation that does so much for them!
Masikhule is an NPO based in Helderberg that offers a wide range of Early Childhood Development (ECD) services in marginalised communities. Founded in 2005 by occupational therapist Léanne Keet, Masikhule has spent more than 20 years developing training that integrates occupational therapy into its Early Learning Programmes (ELPs). Its pillars of service include training, mentoring, nutrition, resources and early intervention, as well as MASKOT: a free-to-access app featuring information and activities for children aged 0–6.
On Saturday, 10 October, the ECD community, led by principals and educators from more than 70 partner centres, came together at the scenic Paardevlei Nature Reserve to host an inspiring walking event called “Let’s Walk for Their Growth”, raising funds and support for Masikhule.
The family-friendly community initiative brought families, educators and supporters together to advocate for quality early childhood education and promote the healthy growth and development of young learners.
“This is not something one hears of very often – if at all,” says Sandy Immelman of Masikhule, reflecting on the wonderful gesture.
“The beneficiaries decided to raise funds for the organisation that works with them! Together they put together ‘Let’s Walk for Their Growth’, confident in the fact that funds raised for Masikhule would return to benefit their ECD centres, staff and children.”
Every step was for the children: for better nutrition, teacher training and development, access to learning materials, and many other opportunities that help build a brighter future for little ones.
One of the centres that took part, Covenant ECD and Primary School, said it was a privilege to support Masikhule.
“Every step we took was for a purpose bigger than ourselves. We walked because we believe that every child deserves the opportunity to learn, grow, and thrive. We walked because investing in our children today means building a stronger tomorrow.”
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“It takes a long time to build trust in a community, but I think over time they, the ECD centre leaders, have come to trust us and to know us. We’ve always taken a step back to listen to them and what their needs are. It’s always been a very respectful relationship, and I think we’ve got to a point where we are now in partnership. We work together,” said Léanne, noting that the event was a beautiful full-circle moment, with centres going from being supported to offering their support.
Sources: Linked Above
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