INSTITUTIONALIZED CHILD CARE IN URBAN SOUTH AFRICA

children and Teacher Magret’s position was dissolved. It became clear that Teacher
Magret contributed far more than her formal responsibilities dictated, as the start of the
school year brought about many unexpected challenges to the staff. Assuming some of
her old role, namely the educational development of the children and the supervision of
afternoon study time was Warrick Gibbons, a new hire who also supervised the spiritual
development of the children.
5Cees addressed the variety of educational demands very thoroughly, placing a
high emphasis on the importance of education. The center ensured that all of the
individualized recommendations for each child were taken seriously. This often put a
strain on the center’s financial resources and put a heavy demand on various staff
members, however it was a priority reflected in the center’s budget. “It costs $25 per day
for each child’s education,” Pastor Mike informed me. “That includes basically
everything, from school uniforms to books to school supplies. Thankfully this need has
been consistently met by sponsors.”
Pastor Mike suggested I accompany the children on their way to school, so the next
day I came prepared to join Marc on his route to drop off each of the kids. By 6:00 in the
morning, the children began to trickle into the kitchen, as the bus was parked right by its
back door. They put butter, peanut butter, or other spreads on slices of bread that they cut
for themselves. They would typically eat one or two pieces for breakfast and pack
another one or two to take to school. Many of the children also poured juice from a large
Tupperware container into mugs to drink. The juice was made from a concentrated
cordial. The kids came dressed in full uniform, and within fifteen minutes, everyone
began to load onto the bus.
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