Exploring the social function of congregations : a community development approach to develop ‘hub-and-spill’ early childhood development centres
Date
2019-02-20
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
AOSIS
Abstract
This article reflects on the findings of a research study that investigated a community
development project by CARITAS, a welfare organisation of the Dutch Reformed Church
(DRC). The said organisation, together with local DRC congregations, and in a quest to address
societal issues such as poverty and child neglect in the Northern Cape, developed early
childhood development (ECD) centres in rural towns. The aim was to provide young children
with quality care and to provide congregations with a platform to become active participants
in community development projects. The study was conducted 5 years after the start of the
project to explore the nature and value thereof. The outcomes of the study provide valuable
insights regarding how such centres served as a tool to work towards ECD and a sense of
community in these towns, while also addressing socio-economic issues. This article is aimed
at presenting the findings as an example to be explored in other contexts.
Description
CITATION: Van der Westhuizen, M., Smith, R. & Beukes, J. W. 2019. Exploring the social function of congregations : a community development approach to develop ‘hub-and-spill’ early childhood development centres. HTS Theological Studies, 75(2):a4850, doi:10.4102/hts.v75i2.4850.
The original publication is available at https://hts.org.za
The original publication is available at https://hts.org.za
Keywords
Social interaction, Church work with children
Citation
Van der Westhuizen, M., Smith, R. & Beukes, J. W. 2019. Exploring the social function of congregations : a community development approach to develop ‘hub-and-spill’ early childhood development centres. HTS Theological Studies, 75(2):a4850, doi:10.4102/hts.v75i2.4850.