Over the years, we’ve relied on our nurses to deal with all the health care aspects of children in Cotlands’ 
programmes. But we’ve come to realise that we can put their expertise to better use; by building capacity instead of providing direct services.
So our nurses’ first new task is to train Early Learning Facilitators (ELFs) to spot health concerns and refer children into public health services. This will allow Cotlands to add a health component to all our programmes.
Their second task is to forge relationships with public health services and follow up on the treatment offered to Cotlands’ children. They’ll also investigate ways to get municipal clinics to pay regular visits to our playgroups.
Their third task will be to identify partnership opportunities where we can tag our early learning component onto existing services. Our first partnership is the Mkhondo Mobile Health and Early Learning Project, where we’ve partnered the Department of Health, Mondi and TTN in Mpumalanga.
Here, we hitch a trailer of educational toys onto the department’s mobile clinic, and a toy librarian accompanies the clinic as it visits 35 rural villages. The clinic attracts a steady stream of mothers and children, and for the first time these communities have access to a wonderful play-based early learning programme.
Innovations like this will ensure that Cotlands continues to reach more children; and ignites potential through play. Thank you for investing in South Africa’s children.