​"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world," Nelson Mandela once said.
Throughout the year, the Nelson Mandela Foundation has been bringing this vision to life by transforming Early Childhood Development (ECD) centres in Gauteng's most underprivileged communities with access to education.
Their role is to support the registration of ECD centres, many of which were previously not registered.
Since June 2023, through the partnership with the Gauteng Department of Education (GDE), the initiative has helped register 1,345 centres across Gauteng.
This work has helped bring an estimated 93,000 children into better-supported early learning environments, many of them in communities that are often left behind.
The Foundation's Bontle Mokgaotsi said the focus is simple, yet deeply meaningful: to increase the number of ECD centres that are officially registered with the department.
"This specifically targets underserved areas like informal settlements, rural villages, and townships. Many of these centres have operated for years without recognition or support, despite playing a vital role in the lives of young children. Without registration, they cannot access government assistance, which means no funding, no food support, no infrastructure help," said Mokgaotsi.
She added that the team supports the entire registration process carefully by reviewing files, capturing data, ensuring documents are complete, and working with stakeholders to move each application forward.
"It's quiet, detailed work, but it's the first step in ensuring that every child, no matter where they live, has access to a safe, nurturing place to learn and grow."
Without this intervention, these centres cannot access vital resources, leaving practitioners in a cycle of invincibility.
The intervention by the foundation's team is fostering equity and visibility for communities that have long been overlooked. Registered centres are then able to tap into government support, creating a ripple effect that uplifts families, practitioners, and the entire neighbourhood.
This behind the scenes work has helped transform the lives of thousands of children across Gauteng is part of our broader commitment to dignity, equality, and justice, values that Mandela stood for.