Cape Town - The Kensington Educare Centre started in 1942 and celebrated its 80th anniversary this year. The centre is dedicated to helping and improving the lives of children living in the Kensington and Factreton communities.
Situated at the Shawco Hall, the centre has helped generations of families and children through the developmental years of their lives.
Department of Education and the Union of Jewish Women have also played a key role in supporting the centre, the latter supporting the centre during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Wendy Claasen, principal of Kensington Educare Centre has been working with the school for many years and believes in the work they do.
“I do this out of love for the children. I started here in 2004 and together with the teachers and staff, we use our passion for children to make a difference. Many children are negatively impacted by social and economic hardships and we aim to provide a space for them to get quality education and nutrition. We believe that is the foundation for future success,” Claasen said.
Kevin Alexander, board member and the public relations and safety officer at Kensington Educare Centre, has been involved with the centre since 1998.
“The Kensington Educare Centre is an iconic institution and for many years it was the ECD centre of choice for parents who faced challenges for their families. The centre is a vital foundation to prepare children for schooling,” he said.
Su Lubner, the joint chairperson, said: “We believe in the spirit of receiving, but also continuously giving back. We try to ensure that we reach out to the community to make them a part of what we do. I enjoy the energy of making things happen, together.”
Lubner also said the centre runs a number of programmes, including workshops to help parents and people in the community, staff development and counselling to equip them with the skills they need to manage themselves.
The outpouring of support was shown recently at the centre’s 80th anniversary celebrations as families, artists and the community came to support the event and show their love for the centre.