Tafadzwa Simphorosa Mhazo

Tafadzwa holds a Master of Social Science in Development Studies, an Honours degree in Development Studies and a Bachelor of Social Science in Industry Sociology and Labour Studies from the University of Pretoria. She was born in Zimbabwe where she spent her early childhood. Tafadzwa subsequently relocated to South Africa in her teenage years to pursue her tertiary education. Tafadzwa is passionate about research and the development of children and youth. She aspires to pursue a PHD in Sociology, become a research professional and combat hindrances around youth and child development.

Tafadzwa worked with Motheo Institute Trust to research the relationship between early childhood development and social connectedness.

Community Engagement Initiative

Tafadzwa’s initiative consisted of semi-structured interviews with four parents and four practitioners, to reveal current barriers and best practices for parental involvement and social connectedness. The parents and practitioners were from Benoni, Johannesburg and its surrounding townships Mogoba Village, Daveyton, Etwatwa, and Chief A. Luthuli. The interviews were conducted telephonically due to the COVID-19 restrictions in place South Africa at the time of the study. Read the report: Parental Involvement in Early Childhood Development

Report

Parental Involvement in Early Childhood Development: Strengthening Parental Involvement and Social Connectedness in South Africa

This research report unpacks the link between social connectedness and early
childhood development (ECD) and how parental involvement in ECD can be strengthened. The Motheo Training Institute Trust operates in South Africa as a multi-training centre offering quality ECD services through training ECD practitioners in a formal accredited ECD programme and other developmental studies throughout Southern Africa. This study utilised desktop research and primary research through the use of semi-structured interviews to reveal current barriers and best practices for parental involvement and social connectedness. The results revealed that the current barriers to parental engagement are lack of knowledge by the parents on the importance of ECD, challenges in nutritional participation, the lack of resources and partnership from the parents to the ECD centres.

Keywords

Children, South Africa, early childhood education, parents, families, education access, parental engagement.