Op-Ed by Tracey Chambers, CEO and Co-Founder of Grow ECD
In 2014, Grow ECD embarked on a daring journey to transform Early Childhood Development (ECD) in South Africa. Ten years later, we celebrate not just the milestones but also the invaluable lessons we’ve learned, the impact we’ve achieved, and the effect we aim to have on communities across the country in the years ahead.
A vision for accessible, affordable ECD at scale
From the start, we had a big/audacious dream: we wanted to ensure every child has access to 5-star early learning. We wanted to get 5-star early learning to every 0- to 5-year-old child in every neighbourhood. We realised that this dream would take time to achieve, but it is worth spending a lifetime to unlock opportunities for a future generation. We set out to create a holistic model that empowers every preschool business to become a top-quality early learning centres that is financially sustainability.
We started small with a social franchise model. For six years, we tested, developed, tweaked and tested again until we developed a holistic model incorporating business and education components that guarantee an ECD centre’s success. We achieved many milestones in this time and received local and international recognition. However, the most important thing we have achieved is learning what it truly takes to operate a financially sustainable ECD business that provides consistent quality education.
We are very proud of what Grow ECD has achieved:
- 211 ECD centres from the Western Cape, Gauteng, KwaZulu Natal, Mpumalanga and the Eastern Cape have partnered with Grow ECD.
- Over 1,000 centre owners and managers have completed the ECD Business Accelerator training course, equipping them with crucial financial skills and a business mindset.
- R5,28m has been made available to centre owners over the past three years through an innovative low-cost ECD Finance model. Owners use this to equip their preschools with classroom kits and necessary infrastructure upgrades.
- Grow ECD’s free apps have over 5,200 active users from 3,247 ECD centres.
- Currently more than 10,000 children benefit from the Grow ECD daily curriculum.
Now in 2024, Grow ECD is growing faster than ever before. Hundreds of centres are joining our programmes, and thousands of teachers and children benefit from our training, tools and resources. By 2030, we aim to ensure that 220,000 young children are thriving and ready for Grade R, and 50,000 children benefit from our programme daily.
Balancing act: The complex role of ECD centre owners and teachers
The true heroes of our story are the ECD centre owners and teachers. These (mostly) women, work tirelessly, investing their time, energy, and often their own resources to create safe havens where young children are nurtured and prepared for the future. They embody a spirit of dedication, resilience, and commitment to the next generation.
In our experience, the ECD centre owner is often overwhelmed by their role as the manager of a complex small business. They juggle numerous responsibilities and compliance requirements and receive very little practical support and mentorship. They are typically under-resourced and time-poor with underdeveloped management and leadership skills. They often lack the knowledge of what it takes to run a quality early learning centre. Furthermore, they often face financial exclusion and cannot secure the capital needed to invest in and improve their services. These seemingly insurmountable challenges trap them in a vicious cycle of low quality and low pay.
Key learnings from a decade in ECD: What it takes to succeed.
Over the past decade, our journey in Early Childhood Development has taught us invaluable lessons about what it truly takes to build and sustain successful ECD centres:
- ECD Centres are complex small businesses: Running an ECD centre involves understanding HR, labour law, early learning, programme development, health and safety, registration, marketing, fundraising, finances and more. It’s a highly regulated and high-risk sector. That’s why we developed a one-stop-shop (our free mobile apps) where owners can access information, support, and practical tools to run her centre more professionally.
- Heart and head: Most ECD centre owners have a deep passion for children but need support to develop their business acumen. Empowering them to balance their heart for children with a head for business is crucial for delivering consistent and sustainable quality education.
- Professionalisation is a journey: Transforming an ECD centre into a professional, financially viable business is a complex, high-touch process that requires months of training, coaching and mentorship. There are no shortcuts.
- Practical playbooks: Teachers need a clear, practical guide to delivering quality education. While the National Curriculum Framework (NCF) is excellent, it’s just a framework. Most teachers lack the time and expertise to translate it into top-quality daily programmes. We’ve learned that providing a step-by-step, multimedia-rich curriculum that’s easy to implement and locally relevant is essential.
- Technology with a human touch: While technology is a critical component of our solution, it’s not a silver bullet. It must be integrated with human-centric support, mentorship and guidance to drive adoption and ensure that users derive real value. Our app is central to our services, but it is the combination of tech and human support that truly makes a difference.
- Financial Inclusion and access to capital: The ECD sector needs alternative sources of capital. Our low-cost ECD finance service has been revolutionary. We provide access to affordable credit and blended finance for investments in infrastructure, equipment, and compliance which significantly enhances quality without fostering dependency.
- Collaboration is key: Impact at scale requires collaboration. The ECD sector is rich with passionate, purpose-driven organisations. Our partnerships across the private and public sectors have proven that when we work together, we achieve more.
As we look back on our journey, we’re proud of what we’ve accomplished, but we know the work is far from over. Our mission to make 5-star early learning accessible and affordable in every neighbourhood continues. We remain committed to growing alongside the ECD sector, learning, adapting and innovating to meet the challenges and opportunities of the future.
To the centre owners, teachers, parents, partners, and supporters who have been part of our journey – thank you. Together, we are not just growing ECD centres; we are growing futures, one child at a time
Grow ECD is a South African non-profit social enterprise started in 2014 as part of the Taking Care of Business (TCB) Group. Grow ECD has created a holistic model that makes running a sustainable 5-star ECD centre possible for all.
Celebrate 10 Years of Growing ECD, together: https://www.growecd.org.za/grow-10-year-anniversary/