ASAP’s First Birthday
In Fall of 2019, “the concept of Adopt a South African Preschool began to take form.”
Our First Birthday Donor Letter
February, 2021
August 2018: Nancy Schongalla visited an impressive preschool in Langa, an impoverished township near Cape Town, South Africa. Nancy showed photos of the school and its surroundings to American friends and funds accumulated. The preschool principal coordinated efforts with Nancy’s South African friends Marlèse and Malan Nel, to supply educational toys, non-perishable food, clothing and a printer.
Fall 2019: The Nels spent a four-month study leave at Princeton Seminary, where Nancy was the Director of Student Counseling. They met weekly to discuss the overwhelming challenge most underprivileged South African children face because they begin public elementary school having spent their first, crucial years in crowded, apartment babysitting “creches”. They decided the most direct way to address this gap is to create Educational Toy Libraries and offer mentoring to caregivers. The concept of Adopt a South African Preschool began to take form.
February 14, 2020, ASAP Was Born: The Nels returned to Pretoria with funds to start a Toy Resource Library aided by their church outreach committee and PEN Forum, a large social justice ministry of thirty years, whose three priorities include preschool education. PEN was already in contact with 56 creches but needed a Toy Resource Library to effectively mentor caregivers and get educational toys into the hands of children. Marlèse collaborated with PEN on their preschool curriculum and ordered hundreds of educational toys, resources, and musical instruments. But Covid-19 delayed deliveries and the lockdown closed schools.
August 25, 2020: Marlèse, the ASAP team from Stella Street Church, and PEN staff assembled the first toy shipment into 25 themed “Play and Learn (PAL) Kits”. Marlèse trained PEN staff on how the toys support their education curriculum. As creches slowly opened, PEN staff began training caregivers in how to use and exchange the PAL Kit toys. We are thrilled that our first PAL Kits enabled 400 children to learn through play!
February 23, 2021: Just last week, a large ASAP donation enabled the signing of a contract that will develop a Preschool Hub in Nellmapius, a huge, low-to-no-income township near Pretoria. The funds will significantly upgrade an existing preschool indluding structural repairs. PEN will oversee the training of caregivers and the Toy Resource Library will potentially serve 100 creches if funds are sufficient for many duplications of the Play and Learn kits. With motivation and training, some of the caregivers will become certified Early Childhood Educators.
Earlier today, donors funded the creation of 14 more PAL kits adding new resources to our original Toy Library at PEN preschool in Pretoria! This past week has continued to lay the foundation for thousands more children to learn through play and succeed in school and life!!! Thank you to all our wonderful ASAP donors!