ENDORSEMENTS

“The Bright Kid Foundation has been a trailblazer in production of Edutainers; Agrément certified containers converted into fully equipped preschool classrooms containers that have been delivered to rural communities and informal settlements throughout South Africa”

Zanele Twala, Chief Executive Officer, The Standard Bank Tutuwa Community Foundation

UNICEF Publishes Article on The Bright Kid Foundation

UNICEF South Africa has published an article entitled The Bright Kid Foundation: A true commitment to early childhood development, which takes a look at the work The Bright Kid Foundation is doing in the crucial arena of early childhood development in under-resourced communities. From the article:

“UNICEF believes that early learning and development opportunities provide children with the best start in life and help them to grow up to be healthy, happy secure adults; and that the innovative and collaborative approach of the Bright Kid Foundation helps expand such opportunities for young children – one ECD centre container at a time.”

‘The initiative is a shining example of what successful partnerships between the private sector, government and civil society can achieve.’

Aida Girma, Representative, UNICEF South Africa

‘Nedbank Foundation has worked with Bright Kid Foundation from 2010 to 2013. During this time Nedbank funded 15 pre-school Edutainers® that were delivered throughout South Africa, and we are very proud of the positive impact they have had on the communities to which they were delivered.’

Kone Gugushe, Divisional Executive: Nedbank CSR

‘Citi is proud to have worked with the Bright Kid Foundation from 2001 to 2011. Over this time-frame, Citi sponsored 30 Edutainers® to various communities and is proud of the impact they had in the local communities. Early childhood development is a critical part of developing any society and particularly in South Africa…
Citi South Africa financially sponsored and partnered with the Bright Kid Foundation for 10 years and we are proud to have made a change in the lives of many community members with their assistance. While we no longer sponsor the project, we still believe in its merits to society and proudly endorse the work being done by them.’

Vanashree Moodley, Citibank South Africa

‘Good ideas are simple….
Stonecracker (a European donor organization working closely with Bright Kid Foundation) was struck by the elegant simplicity of the Edutainer® logic : in order to improve a society, you’ll have to improve Education standards, improving education standards starts with providing basic schooling infrastructure, basic schooling infrastructure starts with adequate schooling facilities. The Edutainer® provides these basic facilities at relatively low prices, short lead-times and required movability. The last element is of great importance, Edutainers® are moveable and can be placed at any site where a short or long term need develops. Once the need has ceased, the Edutainer® can be deployed elsewhere. Simple and sound logic.
Since 2008 Stonecracker has funded 21 Edutainers® in the South African West Cape. Being closely involved with Bright Kid Foundation in site selection, placing and follow-up checks on usage and upkeep, our overall conclusion is that the Edutainer® is an efficient concept with excellent leverage on several levels.’

Irma Borrias, Stonecracker Foundation

‘Receiving the Edutainers® has changed the lives of both Julia and Mollie significantly. Both these teachers have had more than a 50% increase in the number of children who enrolled
into their pre-schools for 2011. They will now be able to run their pre-schools as proper income earning concerns. The quality of education will also be enhanced significantly as the Edutainers® are superbly equipped and designed to function as one or even two class rooms. The lockable shelf space on the one side and the educational toys and equipment included
are also great for having a fully functional classroom facility from the minute the Edutainer® is delivered.’

Lucas Scheepers, Community Outreach Program Trust

‘I would like to motivate and encourage the approval of the ECD Edutainers®, to ensure that Early Childhood Education is enhanced, accessible and the acceptable quality standards are attained to improve the health and well being of our little children in Gauteng.’

Venessa Mentor, Director Early Childhood Development Institute, Gauteng Department of Education, 11 May 2011

‘We recently visited one of our most successful Edutainers®, at Delft in the Cape townships which is a prime example of what happens when the whole process works properly. A very dedicated teacher, operating from a tiny site (the container barely squeezes in)…. It feeds on being an evident success, parents want their children to go there and pay the fees.’

Richard Carss, The Zoë Carss Educational Trust Annual Report

‘Edutainers® are an imaginative cost-effective response to the lack of educating facilities in South Africa for children aged approximately 2 to 8 years old.’

Eric Atmore, CEO Centre for Early Childhood Development

ABI Edutainers® in Masakhane Magaliesburg
‘..the placement of these Edutainers® has provided a lot of scope for the development and empowerment of the entire community’

Sonja van der Vyver Director Village Power Community Development

‘The positive contribution of the Edutainer® program regarding the standard and quality of preschool education was confirmed by the many positive comments made by respondents. It was overwhelmingly expressed that the Edutainers® have impacted very positively on the lives of children, teachers, parents and communities, as one teacher succinctly noted: ”We need a place to teach but the classrooms assigned were not constructed. The Edutainer® stepped in where our need was the greatest. It also meets more than just our needs – it meets the community’s needs, the parent’s needs, and most importantly, the children’s needs”’

Jaclyn Murray, Centre for Early Childhood Development, Edutainer® Evaluation

‘At every visit a proud member of the parent body, or even the general community, will arrive and delight in the acknowledgement of their efforts to further strengthen the preschool experience they are providing their children. The Edutainer® serving as a catalyst, to lift this early childhood community out of despair and energizing them with hope as they continue to progress, tiny step by tiny step, forward.’

Fioni Murray, Khululeka Early Childhood Development, Didimana Village, Eastern Cape

In the words of Maria Robinson “Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending”, and the two Edutainers® located in Hackney and Didimana respectively have most certainly provided these communities with the opportunity to make a new ending for their children. An ending, where teaching and learning can begin in a well-resourced, attractive and stimulating environment.

Fioni Murray, Khululeka Early Childhood Development

‘Until now the group ( providing a safe place for children to play while their parents worked) has struggled with a lack of space, and meetings and workshops often had to be held amidst the hubbub of chattering children at play. Consequently, the Foundation jumped at the opportunity of having an Edutainer® that would provide a dedicated and purpose built space for pre-school learners. As Mama Nomhlobo, one of the group members, commented, “Now we’ve got our own space and the children will be more free”’.

Lucy O’Keeffe on Nedbank Edutainer® delivered to the remote rural town of Kalkeni, Angus Gilles Foundation