Who We Are

The Greater Soweto Association for Early Childhood Development is a section 18A public benefit organisation based in Soweto, established in the early 1980’s by a group of concerned women led by the late Mrs. Monica Lolwane. The women themselves drew their inspiration from the work of an anti-apartheid activist of Scottish descent, the late Mrs. Margaret Ballinger.

The organisation was established for the purpose of providing skills development to childminders, and later ECD practitioners as well as for supporting of ECD Services and childcare facilities. This happened at the time when ECD provisioning in black townships was not getting any attention nor receiving much needed support from the apartheid government.

The Association is a member of the Ntataise Network which is home also to 21 independent non profit organisations having a reach to seven (7) Provinces of South Africa. 

The strengthening of our ECD work in Soweto is underpinned by the following four Focus Areas:

1. Governance and leadership
2. Teaching and learning
3. Parent support and engagement
4. Stakeholder collaboration and coordination

At the centre of our work is the professionalisation of the ECD sector through the delivery of work-integrated, unit standard based skills programme (Level 1&2) and the Further Education and Training Certificate: ECD (NQF Level 4) Qualification. All our learning programmes are ETDP Seta accredited. 

Since its inception, the Association has positively impacted upon on about 1,423 practitioners; 356 Centres and 35,575 children.