By Buziwe Nocuze
- Nomaphelo Shumana opened Joy Educare Centre in 2017 after children in her family repeatedly came home hungry and in soiled nappies.
- The registered centre now cares for 33 children and charges R350 for daycare and R200 for aftercare.
Nomaphelo Shumana decided to open her own daycare after repeatedly finding children in her family coming home hungry and in soiled nappies.
The Khayelitsha mother started Joy Educare Centre in 2017 after complaints to another local daycare brought no change.
“I got tired and decided to do something because our kids were suffering,” Shumana said.
She started with five children from her own family and charged R100 a month.
Today, the centre cares for 33 children.
Shumana charges R350 a month for children aged three months to three years and R200 for aftercare.
She opens at 06:00 and closes at 17:00.
“I didn’t want to charge too much because I understand that most people depend on piece jobs,” she said.
That understanding also means she sometimes allows children to attend even when their parents have not paid yet.
“Some leave their children and go to look for jobs,” Shumana said.
She has not yet received funding but hopes to grow the centre enough to qualify for support.
Parent Nolusindiso Mcatshelwa said she moved her child to Joy Educare after being unhappy with other centres.
“I am happy, and I am even recommending other mothers to bring their kids to her,” she said.
Shumana has registered the early childhood development centre.
The City of Cape Town says registration helps centres meet safety and quality standards and can also improve access to funding and other support.
For Shumana, the centre started with one simple goal: making sure children in her community were cared for properly.
Pictured above: Nomaphelo Shumana started Joy Educare Centre after becoming unhappy with the care children in her family received elsewhere.
Image source: Supplied
