It’s true that once all these needs are met, only then can a childtruly grow, learn and develop to their fullest potential. To ensurethis, ASPs must continuously consider,

1. the contexts and environments children come from, 2. the qualifications of people hired to facilitate/coach/ tutor

learners, including a screening of anyone who comes intocontact with the children,

3. the content and way programmes are designed, as well as,4. the methods used to engage learners of different ages,

gender, sex, and race.

Train all staff and practitioners in existing andupdated or revised policies. Hold annual trainings where staff sign a register ordocument confirming that they understand thecontexts and consequences.Ensure that HR Policies with a Code of Conductare aligned with the Child Protection Policy.

In this way, the whole organisational team can beaccountable for ensuring that the rights and safety ofchildren in their programmes are a priority and wellattended to. For information on the Children’s Act, Safety Solutions inASPs, and other relevant guidelines and policies, visitour website.

No more than a month since, the ManCo has led 4distinct work streams – collaborating with After Schoolpartners – to ensure that support efforts are deliveredsuccessfully, these are:

1. COVID-19 disaster relief (including food andhygiene)

2. Learner Resources (academic and extra-curricular content)

3. Resource guides for parents/guardians 4. Support for frontline staff (coaches,

practitioners, etc.)

While these efforts developed in the Western Cape,the work by the Learner Resources Stream reached theinterest of communities from other active provinces,namely the Eastern Cape and Gauteng.

The stream recognised that many educationalinitiatives offer formal curriculum-aligned resourceslargely suited to higher grades (FET phase of highschool) and are particularly targeted at families whohave access to internet and smart-phone devices.

After creating an online Treasure Box of extra-curricular contentto engage learners at home, the Stream has begun to curate andpackage these resources into physical/hard-copy activity packsthat will be distributed by multiple organisations to children whohave limited access to online resources.

If your organisation serves a large group of learners and isinterested in distributing these activity booklets,

visit this page to add your information.

BEYOND THE CLASSROOM

Practicing Child Protection beyond providing safe spacesAfter School programmes (ASPs) offer learners opportunities to learn, explore, create, and challengethemselves physically, mentally and psycho-socially. These programmes also play the role of filling in thetime-gap between the classroom and home, under the guidance of ASP practitioners. With this weight ofresponsibility, are ASP practitioners cognisant and intentional about creating safe spaces for thechildren/learners in their programmes?

This past quarter, our provincial seminars sought to explore this topic. A majority of the children in our programmescome from communities affected by violence,substance abuse and trauma. For this reason, a large part of creatingconducive learning environments can simply mean ensuring that the physical space of our programmes is securefrom external threats or disturbances.

The seminars, however, allowed us to look beyond physical safety, and recognise that child safety extends to,

Meeting basic needs (food, water, shelter, physical health)Psychological well-being (mental and emotional health)Spiritual well-being (sense of belonging and community support)

These considerations are often guided by values of sensitivity, compassion and socio-cultural awareness, whichshould reflect in the policies developed by an organisation. Whilst organisations acknowledge that documents like theChild Protection Policy and Children’s Act exist and should be active guides of reference for staff and practitioners,their usage is often limited or misunderstood. In this regard, it is important for organisations to,

Online Child Safety Considerations In the time of COVID-19, a number of organisations in the After School sector have transitioned to continueprogrammes through online platforms. As practitioners who have direct contact with children outside oftheir parents and teachers, it becomes even more important to ensure children remain safe and protected.Here are important considerations to take when using online platforms to engage with children in yourprogrammes:

Practitioners must be well-equipped for the online platform they work on, including an understanding ofnavigation features, privacy & security settings, and limitations.Parents/guardians must consent (either digitally or telephonically) to their kids working online.Parents/guardians must be aware of their kids’ online activity, including organisation details, facilitatorcontact, session times and content topics.Online sessions should only be with a group of learners (no one-on-one contact with tutors) and monitoredby a staff member (beyond tutor/volunteer).Learners must be aware of the communication channels should they feel bullied or violated on the onlineplatforms.Learners who are consistently disengaged online should be followed-up through contact with theirparents/guardians.

Expanding the value and reach of After School in the times of COVID-19

There is no greater time to show the value of the After School sector than now. This was the sentimentshared by non-profit organisations during an After School Programme Management Committee (ManCo)meeting that sat to discuss the sector’s response to support parents, practitioners, and learners duringlockdown.

As our government works to flatten the curve through lockdown, social distancing measures, and mobilityrestrictions, the uncertainty around the normal continuation of schooling remains. Additionally, plans to staggerthe phases in which learners return to school may limit the physical running of some After School programmesdue to safety regulations.

While the school system will be heavily burdened and strained for the rest of this year, it is vital that we – as asector – think more creatively about the way we work, and strategically about the future and increased value of

our work. There is no better time to advocate for the necessity of After School programmes thannow. #AfterSchoolWorks!

COVID-19 has affected every aspect of life around the globe,from civil society to institutional operations and internationaleconomies. The interconnectedness—and vulnerabilities—ofthe complex systems that make the modern world run havenever been more apparent. Working in the developmentalspace means that we often look to donors and philanthropicfoundations to continually ensure that marginalisedcommunities are well-supported, more especially in times ofcrisis.

In response, our grantee, the Boost Africa Foundation designed an affordableemergency food system to feed families in vulnerable communities.They started distributing food parcels that feed the average family for a month. Byraising funds online, the organisation has reached their initial target of feeding 1,000families. To date, Boost Africa has distributed a total of 2146 food parcels to thecommunities of Cape Town. They plan to distribute many more food parcels as theirfunding allows.

This joint effort by Masifunde Learner Development, Masinyusane Develop-ment and United Through Sport, developed as a response to the effects ofCOVID-19 on children and youth in communities without access to onlinelearning resources.

The channel covers content that ranges from music, drawing and drama to

literacy and sports. QuaranTV is produced for children in communities that

have no internet access during the lockdown.

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Local donors respond pragmatically to COVID-19 crisis

In response to the pandemic, a number of local donors have mobilised efforts to support government and civilsociety. These efforts range from providing emergency relief funds, extended capacity support, and online

educational resources.

NASCEE & JET Education Services joined forces to conduct a Research Bootcamp to study the educationalexperiences of families at home during the lockdown. The result of such findings is paramount to the enhancehome-learning during and post COVID-19. As a leader in philanthropy, IPASA also extends support by sharingrecent news around local and international grants during this time. Members of the association drafted a collectionof guidelines for donors to consider in their grant-making during the pandemic. Other donors, including DGMT andLaureus Sports for Good, SA, are providing digital resources that practitioners, parents and learners can use tokeep active, engaged and learning at home.

A number of donors have also shifted focus by redirecting funds towards projects that address the pandemic. TheNational Lotteries Commission (NLC) & HCI Foundation are mobilising emergency relief funds towards non-profits that stand to improve the lives of those who are most vulnerable to COVID – 19. HCI has partnered with theLunchbox Fund whose mission is to ‘transform a child’s education one meal at a time’. This is a partnership thatseeks to support a diverse range of families and beneficiary organisations with food packages. The applications callfor NLC funding will open on the 1st of June with an announcement of qualifying criteria. Additionally, to assistgrassroots organisations in staying afloat, Hlanganisa Institute for Development in Southern Africa (HIDSA)has launched an emergency fund aimed at assisting communities in rural areas and informal settlements to mitigatethe impact Coronavirus.

As part of NASCEE, The Learning Trust continues to engage the Department of Basic Education on how bestnon-profits can support learning going forward. We are grateful to all the donors and associations whocontinue to support the non-profit education sector in various ways during this time.

Boost Africa provides essential subsistence for vulnerable communities

In our current climate of uncertainty, limited food security is becoming a bigger threat than the pandemic thathas placed global economies on a stand-still. This challenge hits close to home for many grantees whorecognise the daily impact it has in the communities they work with. The lockdown has limited abilities offamilies who depend on informal work to provide for their children and has led to the eruption of protests andlooting of shops in some communities.

To support Boost Africa, you may donate your contribution here. To find out more details about their distributionstrategy; make sure you follow their Facebook page. You can also check out grantees/alumni in Port Elizabeth whohave been involved in distributing food packages. Follow United Through Sport and Masinyusane Development onFacebook to find out more.

Bringing edutainment to your TV screens!Our Eastern Cape grantees and alumni have collaborated to produce fun educational content for television,

through QuaranTV – a programme on Bay TV in Port Elizabeth.

Make sure you tune in to Bay TV Channel 260, Monday – Friday at 17:30 to catch the team in action.

Stay safe and stay connected.

The Learning Trust Team