Adopt a South African Preschool
Their Future Starts With You!
Our Mission
Adopt a South African Preschool funds training and resources to make early childhood education accessible to disadvantaged children who would otherwise miss the lifelong benefits of a quality preschool experience.
ASAP is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Pennsylvania.
Our reach has expanded since the video was posted in November 2022. As of July 2024 we have established 8 Educational Toy Library Training Centers. 1,075 women are involved in preschool education training at 198 preschools. Best of all, 9,591 children are learning through play, setting them up for success in school!
“What we have before us are some breathtaking opportunities disguised as insoluble problems.”
John W Gardner, American novelist and professor
Announcements
Productive, Meaningful Meetings in South Africa!
ASAP Director Nancy Schongalla had an exciting, bursting-at-the-seams agenda for the week of September 16th . She got to know members of the new ASAP-South Africa board and visited two toy libraries and 4 preschools with them and the U. Pretoria team who are studying this model. She, Marlese (coordinator of ASAP - SA) and PEN leaders did strategic plan and explored marketing initiatives. Nancy interviewed several of PEN’s preschool coaches. A video was filmed about the PEN - ASAP collaboration. Watch for photos and stories in an October Thankful Thursday newsletter.
A study has begun:
Faculty and student from the University of Pretoria’s Department of Early Childhood Education are assessing the impact of the PEN/ASAP model for alleviating poverty by giving young children in struggling communities the chance to learn through play. We are eager for their articles and presentations to increase awareness of this scalable model.
3-min. Video of PEN-ASAP model for uplifting children and South Africa
Nancy was interviewed for a South African television show about “Inspiration”!
Preschool Coaches Thank ASAP for More Toys!!! (click on Instagram below)
[If there is no sound on the video when you play it, make sure you unmute it and turn up your volume.]
Video Transcript:
“Hey everyone, so PEN Young Children has a friend and partner in America in an NGO called ASAP, Adopt a South African Preschool! Yah! They raise money to equip our toy libraries, we already have 7 in South Africa and right now we are standing in one of them called “Sunnyside”. ASAP has just bought us some new toys and equipment. And stay with us while we open the boxes and show you what we have. This is so exciting, it is new toys and new learning activities with our 9,000 children! Woo! We can’t wait to get this wonderful stuff into the classrooms of the centers that we serve! Thank you ASAP!!!”
Video Description:
Our 8th toy library opened on August 21st with the delivery of a U-haul of new toys, games, puzzles, books, etc. This Preschool Support Center is in an area of rural, tribal villages in Limpopo. We are now in 3 provinces!
These early childhood development coaches are in the first toy library ASAP established in 2020 which is in PEN’s head office in Pretoria. On the shelves, you can see a few of the hundreds of toys and games they have been lending preschool owners for the last 4 years.
The coaches are excited because Marlese Nel, Director of the newly-formed ASAP-South Africa (!) ordered 5 huge boxes of new educational toys and resources for the 6 libraries which now support 30 preschools. Marlese also ordered specific items requested by each Support Center. The coaches are celebrating Christmas in August!
Your Dollar…
1. Enables children in informal, under-resourced childcare settings, to gain the critical foundation for school success.
2. Funds Educational Toy Library Training centers where 30 daycare owners are mentored and build skills as early childhood teachers and business women.
3. Helps daycares become safe preschool settings where children learn through play.
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Our Approach
Our mission is to fund preschool resources and establish Educational Toy Library Training Hubs where women create weekly lesson plans, borrow toys, games, puzzles etc., support each other, and stimulate the development of children in their care .
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Check us out on Instagram!
