Gran Kaz supports early childhood development

The youth are our future. A phrase that is heard so often it’s beginning to sound like a mantra. Yet, it is one that is taken seriously by the Institute for Early Childhood development (IECD). Understanding the importance of the formative years, and moreover the importance of a conducive environment for learning during the formative years, the IECD are undertaking a project to re-evaluate the conditions of Pre-schools (Creches) in the Seychelles.

Under our “Pran Swen” umbrella, whereby we give back to the Community, Gran Kaz Entertainment Centre has recently donated SCR 100,000 to the IECD to support it efforts. The cheque was officially handed over to the Chief Executive Officer of the Institute for Early Childhood Development, Mrs. Shirley Choppy at the Grand Opening of the IECD Documentation Facility on Friday 27th April.

 The contribution towards this project, which is part of the Early Childhood Care and Education National Action Plan 2017-2018, is one that we believe supports a cause close to our heart. Most of our workforce are parents themselves. Many with small children attending these very same establishments. But even without that aspect we realise that these children, being the future of our country, need to have the best possible foundation upon which to develop.

The aim of the project is to establish the quality status of the learning environment in the Pre-schools and set a standard for ensuring the creation and maintenance of safe, hygienic, and nurturing environments for early childhood learning.

In an interview Mrs. Choppy, tells us : “having conducted a pilot study in 2017 with 4 creches, the institute realised that there are so many areas in need of improvement, so many areas that need to be analysed further and that is why this project needs to be done, creches need to be evaluated on a nation-wide scale, to identify exactly where resources are lacking for each and every establishment, and how this can be rectified”.

The institute expects as outcomes of this project to have in place tools for measuring the early learning environment in Creches; to define a baseline by which to monitor quality standards; and to establish requirements for the development of national standards for the early learning environment in Creches.

We at Gran Kaz wish them all the best in the successful implementation of their project.