Alladin Learning Solutions (ALS), a Durban North-based Non-Profit Organisation (NPO) and SETA-accredited training provider, is dedicated to strengthening early years education by developing and equipping Early Childhood Development (ECD) practitioners and Foundation Phase teachers. ALS champions play-based learning as a powerful tool to unlock children’s potential, particularly within challenging socio-economic contexts.
Kimberleigh Bodley, Founding Director of ALS, elaborated on their mission: “From ECD centres to Grade R and early primary classrooms, ALS equips educators with the resources, relevant methodologies, and support needed to create joyful, inclusive, and stimulating learning environments. The ECD Programme that we implement is a skills development programme targeted at women and youth in disadvantaged communities. A large number of our ECD Practitioners in disadvantaged communities are not formally trained or qualified. Our programme offers an accredited training programme over 12 months, which includes theory and workplace modules to ensure Practitioners can transfer skills into practice.”
ALS recently celebrated a significant milestone on 24 May, with a cohort of 10 practitioners from Waterloo graduating from their ECD course. Since 2022, the organisation has successfully qualified 23 ECD Practitioners in Pietermaritzburg. Bodley emphasised the impact of their work, adding: “Ultimately, we believe that the key to improving access to quality early childhood development/stimulation and education is ensuring Practitioners are formally trained, qualified, and confident in the implementation of the national curriculum and related frameworks.”
Beyond ECD, ALS extends its support to 20 primary schools through their Foundation Phase Teacher Development Programme, with a specific focus on ‘Learning Through Play’ methodologies.
Driven by a strong commitment to corporate social responsibility and investment, ALS has forged partnerships with prominent corporations, including Growthpoint Properties, Industrial Development Corporation, and Isibindi Africa.
One of their pivotal initiatives is the flagship parental involvement programme, undertaken in partnership with Anglo American South Africa (AASA). This initiative advocates for active parental engagement in both home and school environments, aiming to strengthen the link between educational institutions and households. To date, this programme has reached over 1,400 households across four provinces and has trained 138 parents in ActionAid South Africa (AASA) mining communities. ActionAid South Africa is an NPO that works with communities affected by mining operations in the country.
