As of July 2023, you have already changed the world and the future of 8,200 children, 172 preschools and 850 staff (mostly women)…just in the last 2 years (everything was stalled during covid)!

To honor Nelson Mandela International Day, July 18th, please support Adopt a South African Preschool.

Join us for our recognition of United Nations International Nelson Mandela Day at the Silver Lake Nature Center in Bristol, PA. Worship in the outdoor amphitheater, followed by an AdvocaTeaParty Brunch, and an advocacy workshop on gun control, fair funding for education, and Trans Teens challenges. Sunday, July 16th, 2023 from 10:30am-1:30pm .

Co-sponsored by ASAP and United Christian Church.

ASAP is inspired by South Africa's first black and first democratically elected president, Nelson Mandela, who often said, "South Africa has three priorities: education, education, education.... Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world."

What is Adopt a South African Preschool's mission? ASAP funds the training and resources for preschool education, enabling South African children below the poverty line to succeed in school and in life.

We:

Uplift informal childcare settings to function as safe, caring, and stimulating preschools where children can thrive.
Enable caregivers to become teachers as they borrow toys and games each week, and follow a preschool curriculum.
Establish ASAP-PEN Preschool Support Centers, maximizing each one to serve 30 preschools.

Why are preschool resource centers necessary? A disproportionate number of preschool children in South Africa live below the poverty line in inner-city areas and segregated communities still struggling under the legacy of apartheid 30 years after the oppressive laws were ended.

Many of these children grow up in single-mother households, not knowing who their fathers are. Someone must look after the children while their mothers work, look for work, or beg.

Often, as many as 30 children sit in front of a TV all day in the apartment of a woman who has taken them in to earn money. No preschool education takes place in these “creches” since the caregiver has neither training nor the toys, puzzles, books, and games to stimulate cognitive, physical and social development. Because government funding for preschools is very limited and qualified teachers are rare in poor areas, few of these children will thrive in elementary school.

In fact, by fourth grade, 80% of children in communities like those we serve cannot comprehend what they read, and 40% cannot read at all, a deficit which is seldom overcome. Consequently, students drop out, become pregnant, remain unemployed, and often join gangs searching for self-esteem, power, diversion, and belonging.

ASAP and our non-profit partner PEN honor Nelson Mandela's legacy by working to ensure that every child in South Africa is enriched by the joy and competence derived from learning through play.

More Information please visit our website. (Selecting a "team" is not necessary on this Give Butter platform.)

Take Action!

$15 Funds one educational toy, game, puzzle, puppet, or book.
$75 Funds one Play and Learn (PAL) Kit of 5 curriculum-aligned toys. Preschool teachers borrow resources for 1-2 weeks.
$150 Funds items for PEN's Incentive Store. Preschools gain points for attending trainings and progressing on goals.***
$300 Funds one Play and Learn (PAL) Kit of 30 musical instruments .
$4,500 Funds seed money for a new coach's salary for one year.
$5,000 Funds Educational Toy Libraries to support 10 more preschools. Each resource center can serve 30 preschools.
$8,000 Funds new toy library support centers in new communities to help 10 daycares turn into preschools .
***Explanation of 3: Points buy dolls, large soup pots, buckets, mops, carpet pieces, and essential items which are too difficult or costly for preschool owners to buy. ASAP and our partner PEN, foster and reward initiative rather than dependency.

Please share your excitement about ASAP's impact with your family, friends, and associates. Let them know that as of July 2023, you have already changed the world of 5,127 children, 148 preschools and 550 women. And that is just the start!

2023 Nelson Mandela Day Campaign!

By Adopt A South African Preschool

2023 Nelson Mandela Day Campaign!

This is our annual giving campaign honoring Nelson Mandela's birthday, July 18!