ORANGE FARM, SOUTH AFRICA — In a modest home south of Johannesburg, 17-year-old Refiloe Motloung wakes before sunrise. While most girls her age are still dreaming, she prepares for her day at school — quietly packing her books and uniform so as not to wake her two-year-old daughter, Oratile. Refiloe is one of many teenage […]
Shirley Govender
Shirley Govender is a community media publisher and managing editor behind three independent, hyper-local community publications in the south of Johannesburg: Globe Post, Orange Farm News and Walkerville & Savanna City Times.
Posted inSolutions
How two women embraced early childhood care in South Africa’s underserved communities
This story was written by Shirley Govender. Govender is a community media publisher and managing editor behind three independent, hyper-local community publications in the south of Johannesburg: Globe Post, Orange Farm News and Walkerville & Savanna City Times. JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA — In Orange Farm, a low-income settlement south of Johannesburg, Sophie Mantoa Motloung, 53, opened […]
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How a faith-rooted preschool in South Africa offers a model for safer, stronger early child care
LENASIA SOUTH, SOUTH AFRICA — In the heart of Lenasia South, the poorest region in the city of Johannesburg, one early childhood center is proving that community-led education can raise the bar for safety, trust and developmental quality. Wasalaam Nursery and Preschool was initially established in 1995 by a local couple. Today, it’s operated by […]
Posted inSolutions
Eyes on Africa: Where the state stops, the village begins
Discover how South African communities step in to provide child care where the state falters — explore these grassroots solutions now.