Not just babysitting: Why ECD workers like Nomvula cannot be overlooked

See how dedicated teachers like Nomvula Kgoete are giving young children the best start in life. Walk into Child First Day Care Centre in Ivory Park on a weekday morning, and you will hear it before you see it: the bright, unfiltered noise of small humans learning how to be human. At the centre of that controlled chaos stands Nomvula Catherine Kgoete, 57, sharp-eyed, unhurried – the kind of principal who knows every child’s favourite colour and every parent’s biggest worry. She is not “just” an early childhood development (ECD) practitioner. She is the architect of the first real classroom many of these children will ever know. ‘I wanted to be someone who could help them build a strong foundation’ Kgoete did not stumble into early childhood development by accident. She chose it – deliberately, stubbornly – because she believes the first years of life are not a waiting room for “real school”; they are the foundation. “I have always loved working with children,” she says. “I wanted to be someone who could help them build a strong foundation for their future. Seeing a child learn something new, gain confidence and grow is one of the most rewarding experiences.” That sentence, simple, unshowy, is the engine of her whole story. In a country where too many children start Grade 1 already behind, people like Kgoete are the ones quietly trying to fix the leak before the boat sinks. The moment she decided For years, she worked on instinct and love. It was not enough. She could see the gap between what she wanted for the children and what she knew how to deliver. So she enrolled in the Rhiza Babuyile Practitioner Training programme – not for a certificate on the wall, but for tools she could use the next morning. “I knew I wanted to do more for the children in my care, but I needed guidance and practical skills to help me provide the quality learning experiences they deserve.” To upskill at 57 in a sector often dismissed as “babysitting”, Kgoete treated her craft like a profession that shapes brains. ‘I felt seen, valued and capable’ Training could have been intimidating. Instead, it was liberating. Modules on child development, play-based learning and stimulating environments gave her a new vocabulary for what she already sensed: that play is not a break from learning; it is learning. “The training was empowering. It gave me knowledge, but it also gave me confidence. The facilitators were incredibly supportive and encouraged us every step of the way. I felt seen, valued and capable.” The classroom changed. So did the children. Back in Ivory Park, the changes were immediate and visible. She swapped to storytelling, sensory trays, interactive games – activities designed to stretch language, cognition and social skills without killing joy. “I noticed children becoming more engaged and excited to participate. They began communicating more confidently, interacting more positively with one another and showing greater curiosity about the world around them.” Her growth did not stop at her own door. As principal, she tightened routines, coached colleagues and pulled parents into the project of education instead of treating them as spectators. “The training helped me understand that quality education is a partnership between educators, parents and the community. When we work together, children benefit the most.” Ask Nomvula what the training gave her, and she will not start with lesson plans. She will start with identity. “This experience has changed how I see myself. I feel capable, confident and motivated to keep learning. I know that the work I do today will have a lasting impact on the lives of the children I teach.” ‘An empowering experience’ Looking ahead, she plans to keep learning, keep leading and keep widening the circle of children who get a strong start. Reflecting on her journey, she describes the Rhiza Babuyile Practitioner Training as: “An empowering and transformative learning experience that strengthened my knowledge, skills and confidence as an ECD practitioner,” and, most importantly, that age does not have a limit.