KNYSNA NEWS - Thelma and Leonard Mtwa’s Wonderland Crèche is making such a marked difference in the life of pre-schoolers, that even families from the Eastern Cape want to send their children to be educated at this Knysna preschool.
The 62 children at Wonderland affectionately call Mtwa Miss Omkhulu (big teacher) and often enjoy it so much to be at the kindergarten that they don’t want to go home in the afternoon when their parents come to fetch them.

Had her hands full
Although Mtwa originally began looking after other people’s babies as favours to friend, she soon found it was a full-time occupation. "One mother worked night shift and I had to sleep with that baby until the mother could return," she remembers those early day before they got the idea in 2006 to start a proper preschool. "At one stage I found myself looking after seven small children of whom three were still in nappies!" she laughs.
Having raised six of her own children, it wasn’t long before Mtwa also started cooking breakfast for everyone and began teaching them things so that they would not be bored.

Training
She soon found out about training in early childhood development sponsored by the Knysna Educational Trust at the Bongani Training Centre.
"The training focuses on the idea that one should not just raise a child, but that you should approach a child as a whole: social, emotional, physical and intellectual," Mtwa explains.
"We were taught different programmes on how to stimulate and help develop the different age groups as their ability to concentrate varies greatly with age. I also learned about age appropriate toys and that all children should be taught a daily routine to keep them settled, calm and disciplined."

Seeing results
Mtwa explains that ever since she has been implementing her training, (she still has to complete Level 5), she has experienced first-hand how effective it is.
"I feel very satisfied when I see how happy the children are and how they progress. Sometimes the parents come back to me and want to know how we managed to teach their child so many new things and in three languages!" she smiles broadly.

Need more space
Mtwa’s Wonderland Crèche is bursting at its seams, though, and they are desperately looking for a bigger venue to move into. Thirty-two of the children are two to three years old and the rest, four to six years of age. Several volunteers also help.
"Every morning we sit in a circle and share news. This way I find out what is going on in the child’s life. If we, for example, notice that a child has a language problem, we recommend them to a speech therapist," explains Mtwa.
The children receive Epap for breakfast and have a specific routine for eating, cleaning duties and using the bathroom.

Communication
"Whatever they are doing, we let them sing a song with it. We also have a doll that comes to visit and talks about issues such as abuse on a level that they can understand. In this way they often open up to the doll and the staff can determine if there are problems at home that we need to take note of."

Learning skills
Activities include the learning of shapes, colours, counting, beading with shoelaces for hand-eye coordination, fantasy play and creating their own farm on the green lawn carpet outside, or playing on the swings and balancing bars.
"We read them stories each day and we also make the sound of the words so that they can start to connect certain sound to specific letters in preparation for writing."

Outings
The children also get their own seeds on occasion to plant their own garden. They go on outings to the library, to play on a sport field on National Children’s Day and visit the beach once a year during summer.
Wonderland Crèche also has a committee that draws up its agendas before parents’ meeting. Discipline takes the form of children having to take ‘time-out’ alone on a chair, yet within full view of the teacher.

Discipline
"We never shout or scream at them. You just point to the chair and they know," she motions over the tables where the children are happily scribbling away.
"We also have a graduation day at the end of each year and would be so happy if someone would like to sponsor us with caps and gowns for the little ones," says Mtwa.

Ian Fleming
Ian Fleming Photography often uses Wonderland Crèche as one of the pit-stops on his photographic courses, which is a thrill to both children and photography students.
"I think what Thelma and Leonard have going here is just incredible," says Fleming.
For more information kindly contact Thelma Mtwa on 078 4866 758.



ARTICLE: ANEOSCHKA VON MECK