Let the children flourish

Henriette Lamprecht How does one release a child’s inherent creativity and desire to learn, helping them to flourish in a world where the future is often tainted by the unknown?Enter the ecl Foundation – an international charity with a branch in Namibia, whose exact purpose this is. According to Rowena Mould, the charity has a vision that it is possible for every child to flourish – regardless of their background.“We work hand in hand with teachers, leaders, parents and caregivers in schools and outside to create learning environments in which children and young people can flourish.”ecl’s work is based on two principles, namely whole child and whole system; an understanding that education is about so much more than the cognitive and that a child is part of a wider system that includes her family, her community and her culture. The foundation stimulates and supports research on the relationship between emotional wellbeing, creativity and the ability to learn, realizing that to broaden the definition of great education to include the whole child, requires a rigorous research base. “We are building regional hubs across the world (already active in the UK, Netherlands, South Africa and Namibia) staffed by people skilled to take the practice into schools and communities. We are also developing a web-based platform that can connect teachers, leaders, community workers and researchers, allowing them to share, learn and innovate together.”The foundation’s work is spreading to schools and communities thanks to the work of skilled people that are passionate about the real meaning of great education, Rowena says.“This powerful practice has begun to break cycles of damage within the education and care of children and young people as adults unlock their own potential to create environments in which children and young people can flourish, despite the lack of resources and social issues surrounding them.” Rowena was first introduced to ecl in 2010. After joining ecl training in Cape Town, she realised she had the tools to bring systemic change to children and ecl Namibia was born. In Namibia, ecl was involved in the Safe Schools project initiated by the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture. During the first National Parent Conference held by the Ministry of Health and Social Services and LifeLine / Childline, ecl Namibia was invited to host workshops to participants at the conference.“The ecl principles and practices were very well received, especially by the social workers present.”Rowena says the focus of the foundation’s work in Namibia is its work at the Bernard Nordkamp Centre (BNC), an educational after-school centre in which about 180 of the city’s most vulnerable children are enrolled, many of who come from broken homes. “The centre, run by director Marybeth Gallagher, provides supplementary classes for learners from grade 1 to 11. They attend state schools in the morning and then come to the centre for additional academic support.”The centre addresses academic excellence and in collaboration with ecl Namibia, addresses moral and ethical principles, nurturing each child’s potential.“Our aim is to restore a joy in learning by empowering every child in the programme to be in touch with and effectively express their emotions, unlocking their creativity, enabling and inspiring them to learn. There is discipline with dignity, conflict resolution, peer counselling and problem solving.”At the first Parenting Conference held in April last year in Windhoek, ecl Namibia presented encouraging findings of the joint collaboration. “It is our belief that peaceful interaction between individuals, their families and their wider communities is possible. We also know it is possible for all children to access their inner resources and creativity. The approach is all about creating the conditions under which this can happen so that children and young people can flourish and reach their full potential,” she says.The foundation has long held the dream of an ecl school in Namibia. With current partners on board, it looks as though this might soon come to fruition, Rowena says. “Our outreach will be threefold: uniting parents, teachers and pupils via ecl principles and practices. We have found through our work at the BNC, it imperative to reinforce what the children learn during an ecl session.” Another aspect is BreathingSpace, a Parent Circle designed to provide just that – breathing space – for parents; a safe environment where they can share and grow as parents. “Although designed as a six-week programme, it continued for over a year. One participant in stating her motivation for attendance, wrote: ‘I want my children to listen to me’. At the end of the basic course she wrote, ‘I have realised I want to hear and listen to my children.’”• www.theinnerprocess; http://tanjameyburgh.co.za>; rowenamould@gmail.com, www.eclfoundation.org

Let the children flourish

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Republikein 2025-05-02

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Let the children flourish

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