Cotlands

The potential of millions of young children is lost due to our inability to provide families access to quality play-based early childhood education programmes. Cotlands exists to close the access gap by offering innovative programmes that promote play-based learning.  Through direct service delivery as well as in partnership with other organisations, these include:

• Toy libraries and playgroups to reach marginalised children.
• Nutritional, health and parental support for children attending Cotlands early learning playgroups.
• Building capacity in NPOs and ECD centres to implement Cotlands play-based early learning programmes.

Top three projects:

• Toy libraries:  
• Toy libraries are cost-effective non-centre-based programme that provides educational games, toys and other resources to children, their families, early learning facilitators, home visitors, community workers and other organisations providing services to children. 
• Early learning playgroups (ELPGs):
• ELPGs offer two, four-hour play session a week to children aged birth to 4 which are structured around a routine, creating learning and play opportunities that develop children’s language, mathematics, problem-solving, gross motor, fine motor as well as social and emotional skills.
• Early Childhood Development (ECD) Centre and NPO capacity building
• Cotlands shares best-practice principles with non-profit organisations and ECD centres to equip them to deliver quality early learning programmes, increasing access for children living in marginalised communities. 

List of needs

• Apart from financial support, Cotlands most urgent need is for educational games and toys to equip the toy libraries and playgroups.  A detailed wish list is available on our website: www.cotlands.org.za

Statistics

		2018	2017	2016
EARLY LEARNING PLAYGROUPS:
Early learning playgroups	total	292	231	136
Early learning play sessions	total	19 342	16 467	8 162
Children	at year end	3 261	2 964	1 861
Meals	total	293 498	314 670	94 136
TOY LIBRARY DEPOTS:
Members	at year end	145	284	204
Play sessions	total	617	1 039	1 085
Children	total	8 307	9 711	8 691
COMMUNITY CAPACITY BUILDING
Sessions	total	651	814	938
Trainees	total	5 777	6 647	5 483
TOTAL ANNUAL BENEFICIARIES
Children	total	11 568	12 675	11 363
Adults	total	6 012	7 120	5 695
Total	at year end	17 580	19 795	17 058

A success story:

Temo takes two

When four-year-old Temo* joined Cotlands, his early learning facilitator (ELF) noticed that he didn’t like using his left hand. She got permission from his mother to spend extra time doing activities that use both his hands. Two months later, Temo is using both hands with ease. Well done to both our ELF and Temo’s mother for taking positive steps to foster Temo’s development.

*Not his real name.

Contact details

• Banking details:

  Name:	Amanda Bossenger
  Cell no:	082 339 3355
  Address:	Unit B13b, BKB Building, Fitzpatrick Road, East London

• Account name:	Cotlands
  Account number:	200 045 288
  Name of Bank:	Standard Bank
  Branch code:	006005
  Branch name:	The Glen
  Reference:	Algoa Cares