When Dell Computer South Africa heard, through the Johannesburg Child Welfare, that the Eldorado Park Educare Centre needed some assistance they decided to do more than just donate the required hardware. "The Eldorado Park Educare Centre, a Montessori School, is one of six early childhood development centres and caters for children between the ages of three months and six years," explains Eugene Weimers, training manager at Dell South Africa. "When we heard about the school`s plight, we thought that we should not only supply them with the technology they needed, but also endeavor to create a constructive learning environment," says Weimers.
With this in mind, Dell South Africa hired a professional painting service to give the school a much-needed coat of paint, and celebrated by holding a Spring Day for the children. Three children in particular, Semone Pienaar, Bantu Dlambulo and Micheline Lament, were able to celebrate Spring Day with a C N A gift voucher awarded to them by Dell, for winning a painting competition. "The children of the Eldorado Park Educare Centre will now be able to enjoy five new computers at their freshly painted school," says Brent Hamilton, national sales manager at Dell South Africa. "To ensure that they keep enjoying this gift," he adds, "we have committed to provide any additional computer training and support that they may require."
"Dell`s success is linked to the vitality and quality of life of the regions in which it resides. Consequently, Dell recognises the need to invest its resources in the community and has developed a social responsibility programme to help disadvantaged communities in South Africa wherever possible," reflects Hamilton.
Celia Theart, PR and Fundraising Director for the Johannesburg Child Welfare and Ros Usdin, Manager Early Childhood Development, agree that, "the primary motivation underlying the work of the Early Childhood Development Department is to provide a high quality service. A service that meets the need of young children for care and learning within a safe and healthy environment. One, which promotes their social, intellectual, emotional, physical and spiritual development in their first six years of life. Such a programme can also lessen the impact of possible economic, social or environmental disadvantage."
The children`s parents fund the Eldorado Park Educare Centre, and the Johannesburg Child Welfare Society covers any shortfall. Mrs. Gaffoor, Principal of the school, says that each centre runs a programme that is implemented by trained or in-training teachers. A Principal, who may also be the teacher for a specific age group of children, supervises these teachers. "In line with current education policy, which is outcomes-based, we are focus on various learning areas. These include life skills, and laying the foundation for life-long learning," points out Gaffoor.
Gaffoor adds: "Dell South Africa was very generous in bringing in professional painters to paint the whole inside of the school which was desperately in need of a coat of paint. In addition to this, they have donated five Dell desktop computers. One of the computers will be used for administration for the school - prior to this all administration was done manually. The other four computers have been set up in our new computer room and will be used by the children."
"Dell Computer has not only given us the hardware and financial assistance by painting the school, they have also offered to spend time with our teachers in a train-the-trainer programme and to supply us with ongoing service and support should we require. We are indebted to Dell and to the management team at Dell who have reached into their hearts to help our little school survive," remarks Gaffoor.
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