In 2019, a little boy named Sandile Madlala* joined our Cotlands family when he was just a year old, entering our baby stimulation programme. At that time, Sandile’s speech was at the baby talk stage, making it unclear what he was trying to express. His teacher, Johannah Thabethe, noticed that Sandile’s development was slower compared to other children his age. She decided to give him extra attention and time on different play-based activities to help him progress.

Sandile is the fourth child in a family of five, with his mother Mary Madlala raising them as a single parent. Despite the challenges, Sandile has flourished during his time at Cotlands. He now attends the 2-5 years age playgroup at Mashishing, Mpumalanga where he has made remarkable progress.

Today, Sandile can confidently state colours, shapes, and sing rhymes. He has become a social butterfly, excelling in playing with other children and sharing their emotions. Most notably, his speech has developed significantly, and he is one of the most active children in his playgroup.

As Sandile prepares to graduate and move on to grade R next year, his mother Lucy is doing everything she can to ensure his educational journey continues. She is searching for his next school and wishes to express her heartfelt gratitude to Cotlands and our donors for the unwavering support. As a single parent, Lucy knows that without Cotlands, providing the same level of early learning education, it would have been an immense challenge. She hopes that Cotlands continues its generosity and support for other families like hers.