The document summarizes a study on the GEMS (Greater Edendale Muslim Society) early childhood development program in rural South Africa. It finds that both teachers and parents perceive the program positively. It contributes effectively to children's education and learning, and facilitates social interaction. There is room for improvement, such as making the program more affordable and better assessing child development. The study recommends continued support for such programs to promote equality through education and alternative ways to spread Islamic messages in rural communities.

1. Dr. Ghamiet Aysen
Director : Cato Ridge Electrical
Founder/President : Greater Edendale Muslim Society (GEMS)
(ghamiet@catogroup.co.za)

2. 2
PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
• ECD in the rural areas of South Africa
• The GEMS program .
• The Research Study on the GEMS program.

3. 3
INTRODUCTION
• Statistics South Africa.
• Thariq Ramadan (2009)  respect for diversity.
• Evans (2002)  exposure to risks.
• Ansari (2002)  SA Muslims are faced with the problem of
readjustment.

4. PROBLEM STATEMENT
CHALLENGES EMPIRICAL FINDINGS
Lack of
parenting
support
Parents lack the skills and resources to provide ECD
services to their children while in the home.
Poor quality of
ECD services
ECD services has increased, but the quality remains
poor. As a result, inequality persists as children coming
from poor families remain trapped in the poverty cycle.
Poor
organization
within the ECD
centers
ECD centers some of which receive a state subsidy, are
poorly managed both from an organizational and
financial management perspective.
Insufficient
state
monitoring of
ECD services
The lack of human resources means that the
Department of Social Development cannot adequately
monitor the quality of services in subsidized centers.
In 2009 the Western Cape Department of Social Development done an Audit of Early
Childhood Development and some of their findings are detailed in Table 1 below :

5. 5
SOME OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS
• Increase access to and improving the quality of ECD services
• Corporate donors to focus on encouraging innovative models
• Ensure that ECD Teachers are properly and adequately trained.
• ECD Teachers need coaching and mentorship.
• Supporting ECD infrastructure development is crucial
• Poor health and nutrition in children affect their growth and
development
In a survey sponsored by First National Bank in 2015 and carried out by Sliverster
Hwenha, Tshikulu Social Investments, some of the recommendations confronting
all the challenges are as follows :

6. 6
OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The objectives of the study is to assess whether
the Teaches and the Parents of the children believe
that the GEMS programme is providing suitable
education in the Early Childhood Development
phase and contributing to social reformation in
the rural areas of South Africa.

7. 7
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
The research objectives of the study is to determine the following :
 Teachers’ perception of education and the environment.
 Teachers’ perception on excellence, ownership and progression.
 Teachers’ perception on self-development and community
development.
 Parents’ perception on education and the learning of their child.
 Parents’ perception of accessibility and affordability for their child.
 Parents’ perception of Social interaction.
 Parents’ perception of the child’s development.

8. 8
SCOPE OF STUDY
 The aim of GEMS is to empower the Entrepreneurs
who ultimately became ECD Teachers.
 GEMS is a all-inclusive approach.
 The Teachers who participated in this project had
no formal training.
 The Parents of the children, the majority of whom
are unemployed and not educated.

9. 9
LITERATURE REVIEW

10. 10
BUILDING COMMUNITIES IN THE RURAL AREAS

11. 11
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY AND DESIGN
• Research Design.
• Target Population
• Selection Sampling
• Questionnaire design
• Ethical Measures

12. 12
ANALYSIS OF DATA
The perceptions of teachers of the GEMS program was assessed by asking
participants to respond to various dimensions using a 1 to 5 point Likert
scale. The results were processed using descriptive statistics (Table 2).

13. 13
The perceptions of parents of the GEMS program was assessed by
asking participants to respond to various dimensions using a 1 to 5
point Likert scale. The results were processed using descriptive
statistics (Table 3).

14. 14
Whilst positive views of the GEMS programme were held by parents,
in order to identify areas of improvement, item analyses were
conducted to see were total agreement was not achieved which are
reflected per dimension as follows :
• EDUCATION AND LEARNING OF THE CHILD :
There is room for the GEMS project to make a further difference in the ECD phase
• ACCESSIBILITY AND AFFORDABILITY OF EDUCATION FOR CHILDREN :
There is room for making the GEMS programme to be more cost-effective.
• SOCIAL INTERACTION AS A RESULT OF THE PROGRAMME :
There is room for the GEMS programme to enable parents to unite and share their
concerns, problems, challenges and information about their child with other parents.
• THE CHILD’S DEVELOPMENT :
There is room for further assessments to be done with children to enhance their
educational progress.

15. 15
HYPOTHESIS 1
Parents’ perceptions of various aspects of the GEMS programme (education
and learning of the child, accessibility and affordability of education for the
children, social interaction as a result of the programme, the child’s
development) significantly intercorrelate with each other (Table 4).

16. 16
18%
45%
27%
7%
3% 0%
16-25 26-35 36-45
46-55 56 and over Unkown
In section A of the questionnaire the aspects of life in the rural areas
concerning the parent’s are addressed and their responses were as
follows.
FIGURE 4.FREQUENCY OF PARENTS RESPOSES BY AGE GROUP
Figure 4 reflects the Median = Mode = 2 = 45% = age group : 26 - 35

17. 17
FIGURE 5: FREQUENCY OF PARENTS’ RESPONSES BY
GENDER
Male
8%
female
92%
Figure 5 Reflects the Median = Mode = 2 = 92% = female

18. 18
FIGURE 6: FREQUENCY OF PARENTS’ RESPONSES
BY RACE
Black
99%
White
0%
Asian
0%
Coloured
1%
Figure 6 Reflects the Median = Mode = 1 = 99% = Black

19. 19
FIGURE 7: FREQUENCY OF PARENTS’ RESPONSES BY
QUALIFICATION
Figure 7 reflects the Median = Mode = 2 = 67% = Secondary (up to Matric)
28%
67%
3%1%1% 0% 0%
Primary (up to standard 5) Secondary (up to matric)
NQF - 4 certificate NQF - 5 certificate
NQF - 6 certificate NQF - 7 certificate
NQF - 8 certificate

20. 20
FIGURE 8: FREQUENCY OF PARENTS’ RESPONSES BY
EMPLOYMENT STATUS
Figure 8 reflects the Median = Mode = 1 = 70% = Unemployed
Unemployed
70%
Employed
29%
Employer
0%
Entrepreneur
1%

21. 21
FIGURE 9: FREQUENCY OF PARENTS’ RESPONSES
BY INCOME
Figure 9 Reflects the Median = Mode = 1 = 71% = R0 – R500
71%
7%
11%
8%
2%
1%
R0-R500 R600-R800 R900-R1500
R1600-R3000 R3100-R5000 R5100 and above

22. 22
FIGURE 10: FREQUENCY OF TEACHERS’ RESPONSES BY AGE
GROUP
15%
62%
15%
0%
8%
16-25 26-35 36-45 46-55 56 and over
Figure 10 Reflects the Median = Mode = 2 = 62% = Age Group : 26 - 35
Section A of the questionnaire deals with the aspects of life in
the rural areas concerning the teacher’s and their responses are
as follows.

23. 23
FIGURE 11: FREQUENCY OF TEACHERS’ RESPONSES BY
GENDER
Figure 11 reflects the Median = Mode = 2 = 92% = female
Male
8%
Female
92%

24. 24
FIGURE 12: FREQUENCY OF TEACHERS’ RESPONSES BY RACE
Figure 12 Median = Mode = 1 = 100% = Black
100%
0%0% 0%
Black White Asian Coloured

25. 25
FIGURE 13: FREQUENCY OF TEACHERS’ RESPONSES BY
QUALIFICATIONS
Primary (up to
standard 5)
8%
Secondary (up to
matric)
46%
NQF - 4
certificate
0%
NQF - 5
certificate
46%
NQF - 6
certificate
0%
NQF - 7
certificate
0%
NQF - 8
certificate
0%
Figure 13 reflects the Median 2= 46% = Secondary (up to Matric)
Figure 13 further reflects the Mode = 4 = 46% = NQF - 5 certificate

26. 26
FIGURE 14: FREQUENCY OF TEACHERS’ RESPONSES BY
EMPLOYMENT STATUS
Figure 14 Reflects Median = Mode = 4 = 77% = Entrepreneur
Unemployed
0%
Employed
23%
Employer
0%
Entrepreneur
77%

27. 27
FIGURE: 15 FREQUENCY OF TEACHERS’ RESPONSES BY
INCOME
R0-R500
0%
R600-R800
8%
R900-R1500
84%
R1600-R3000
8%
R3100-R5000
0%
R5100 and above
0%
Figure 15 reflects the Median = Mode = 3 = 84% = R900 – R1500

28. 28
DISCUSSIONS OF THE FINDINGS.
• The findings of the study reflect positive teacher and parent
perceptions.
• Parents believe that the GEMS programme contributes
effectively to the education and learning of the child.
• The strong inter-correlation amongst the sub-dimensions ie :
education and learning of the child, accessibility and
affordability of education for the children, social interaction
as a result of the programme, the child’s development.

29. 29
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
RECOMMENDATIONS
• Zakat should be given to assist programs in the rural areas.
• The Leaders of the communities and Religious leaders should be
encouraged and supported.
• The centers of excellence should be utilized as multi faceted
institutions.
• The leaders in the community.
• The youth.
• Local Muslims.
• Monitoring the progress.
• Empower the community to become Entrepreneurs.

30. 30
RECOMMENDATIONS CONTINUED
• What is needed  “Zakat Receivers can become Zakat Givers”
• Continuity and commitment.
• Channel funds wisely with a short term and long term goal.
• Innovativeness and entrepreneurship must be harnessed and encouraged.
• Community leaders must inspire the unification of crèches in an area.
• Strategies  should be both short and long term  congruence
between ends and means to ensure successful outcomes.
• A central base.

31. 31
CONCLUSION
• A conscious effort to invest in the rural areas has the potential
of good returns.
• Teachers who are motivated, educated, progressive and
gratified entrepreneurs.
• The GEMS program should be replicated on as wide a scale as
possible.
• No economy can grow by excluding any part of its people.

32. 32
DIRECTIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH
• Research on how equality through education can be achieved.
• Continuous Research should be done to assess centers of
excellence effectiveness and identify areas of improvement in
order to optimize learning and development in rural areas.
• Research should be done to find alternate and constructive
ways to spread the message of Islam in the rural areas.

33. 33
MUD HUT CRECHE , WOODEN BOX CRECHE , CONTAINER CRECHE,
WENDY-HOUSE CRECHE AND A SOLID BUILT-UP CRECHE

34. 34
EDUCATING OUR STAFF

35. 35
SOME OF OUR
PRECIOUS GEMS

36. 36
UNITING THE UMMAH IN EDENDALE

37. 37
WILL WE BE ALLOWED TO DREAM ??

38. 38
THANK YOU, SHUKRAN FOR YOUR
ATTENTIVENESS DURING MY
PRESENTATION.
MAY THE ALMIGHTY ALLAH ACCEPT
ALL OUR EFFORTS
IN SHA ALLAH.