Kuierkidz: WHO ARE WE?

WHO ARE WE?

Youtube videos of Kuierkidz:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3aWwti08UZg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GgDoHaNMZSY

https://youtu.be/D5RCiZ1q2a0

This letter written by our Principal, Rene' Coetzee, says it all:

Kuierkidz Learning Centre is a holistic independent special needs school situated in Melodie, Hartebeespoort. We combine the best of outdoor and indoor learning activities which promotes the full potential of our learners. We recognize the child as an individual with unique educational and other needs.

Our Centre has a holistic approach for our learners and we follow a therapeutic model where each child has their own individual learning program. SNAP – a special needs adapted program, specially put together keeping their strengths and challenges in mind.

Kuierkidz has a radically different approach than schools of the neuro typically learner.

We recognize their differences and create ample opportunity for them to reach optimal potential. It is our mission to assist, empower and enable our learners with disabilities, regardless of the barriers to learning, to achieve their full potential in a safe, nurturing and caring environment.

We offer one-on-one tutor sessions (20min each) and certain activities are presented in a group of three to four learners. Here at Kuierkidz we can guarantee individual attention. Each learner’s learning program is tailored to his/her needs and keeping in mind their specific strengths as well as challenges. We teach them to become independent and to communicate their needs. Our program starts early morning at 8:15 and ends at 13:15. A full day with two short breaks in between.

Kuierkidz daily program consists of 11 sections – stations as we call it. Each station provides activities for development in the following: Mouth exercises and language drills, Language and communication, Perceptual education, Sensory integration, Life skills and Body image, Fine motor skills and writing activities, Art and creativeness, Role play and fantasy, Building blocks and carpet activities, gross motor skills, Outdoor play.

Our main focus is language development, communication, social skills and life skills with sensory integration throughout. We create opportunities for learners to gain more independence. Toilet routine and movement is a huge challenge to some of them and we focus on social stories to improve that. The program changes with older learners where we then focus more on independence, life skills and vocational skills. Activities such as pottery, gardening, domestic activities are introduced into the program.

We believe in team work where tutor, parent and therapist works together. Happy child…. Happy parent…… happy school! At the moment we have 27 learners enrolled, 19 Tutors, 1 administrative post, 1 kitchen lady and 1 cleaner. Kuierkidz learning center is open 5 days a week from 6am to 6pm daily, as we offer an aftercare program too. We do not receive any funds from Government or any institution but rely on school fees, sponsors and fundraisers.

This Learning Centre, founded by parents who started small in temporary buildings at Meerhof, has grown into a Learning Centre of note! We are proud to say that we have moved forward and really worked hard to make a difference in the lives of special needs children as well as in our community. Our motto quoted by John Ruskin

Education is leading human

souls to what is best, and making

what is best out of them; and

these two objects are always

attainable together, and by the

same means; the training which

makes men happiest in

themselves also makes

them most sociable amongst others.

John Ruskin

ENJOYING LIFE!

KUIERKIDZ SPECIAL NEEDS CENTRE – The Life of an Entrepreneur

KUIERKIDZ SPECIAL NEEDS CENTRE

By Rene van Zyl 2 years ago

A NON-PROFIT ORGANISATION: BIG CHALLENGES

In 2008 when Reverend Anton van Zyl and his wife, René, thought of starting a centre for severely disabled children in Hartbeespoort, they had no idea how big a business challenge it would turn out to be.

Anton explains: “The business model for a non-profit is completely different from any normal small business. Any centre for special needs or handicapped people is very expensive to operate and turn over. We had to model around three pillars which were a delicate balancing act. Our three income streams that would float the boat were: affordable school fees; regular fundraisers; and consistent donations from the business sector. The fourth element that made everything possible, was the numerous volunteers.

From the start it was clear that the entire project was dependent on the whole community: churches, businesses and even local schools became role players. Strategically we could only operate as a private entity that was directed by the parent’s council, with a high dependency on a few willing and over-worked parents.

One of our biggest challenges is that all three income streams are all very volatile. But through the years we made good friends with a few companies that supported us wholeheartedly. Later we were challenged with the long-term security and size of the property that we rented. The time is now to go big and go permanent. We need a bigger property, a forever home, where the learners eventually can reside permanently when their parents can’t look after them any longer. For this we registered a trust, Deo Volente, to start saving for a permanent place of residence.”

In the meantime, one of the parents is busy turning a building on his smallholding into a temporary facility for the centre, because they need a place from December to use until the dream of a forever home actualizes.

Kuierkidz is registered as a non-profit organization. The parents still have to work hard to get funding and donations, because it is so expensive to run a basic centre privately with no government input. The cost per child for attending weekdays in the mornings are actually around R6000 per month, but the school fees are only R2900 per month to keep it reasonable. Therefore, ongoing fundraising is crucial. With a special needs child, parents have more expenses than with other children: diapers, doctors, medicine, extra therapy, wheelchairs, operations, caretakers, etc. For most of them it is financially almost impossible to keep their child in school, but they try their best because it is for the benefit and happiness of their child. Medical funds do not cover all of the expenses.

A little bit of history: Kuierkidz started in 2008 after Rev. Anton van Zyl and his wife felt the need for their brain-injured son, Sean-Jacques (at the time 15) to be able to visit a centre in Hartbeespoort where he could get socially and physically stimulated. Such facilities are not very common and also very expensive. They started the centre with Sean (who was left brain-injured after he suffered from a brain virus at the age of 15 months) and the daughter of their friends who also had special needs. They started out small with two helpers and quickly grew into a school with seven children and five helpers with no prior special needs experience, working for small salaries. These kids can’t cope in a class with more than one or two pupils. Meerhof School offered them a piece of land to use to get properly started. Since Anton had an independent church, Kuierkerk, many people in the community knew them and helped with prefab buildings, Wendy houses, taking care of the gardens, etc.

Fundraising functions and annual golf days are ongoing ways to keep the school doors open, because this private facility doesn’t receive any government funding. The school kept on surviving but soon more and more children wanted to enrol and the demand for a bigger facility and more tutors grew. Basic administration was being done, but the centre was far from being a proper school, even though a variety of experienced therapists offered training for the tutors. In 2014 René (Veertjie) Coetzee who was headmistress of a major primary school in Johannesburg, but had to retire a few years earlier because of colon cancer, decided to help Kuierkidz with basic administration and organisation, asking no compensation at all.

After all these years Veertjie is still with them, she is cancer free (a miracle on its own) and is still working for no remuneration. And she gives her all. She understands the special needs children, attend training sessions (online or physically) whenever she can; she constantly trains the tutors, keeps them motivated and keep the parents updated. René evaluates the children and writes individual programmes, keeping their strengths and challenges in mind. She uses a therapeutic model, SNAP – a special needs adapted program. Kuierkidz would not survive as a business, if not for the likes of people like Veertjie and the community who help in many ways to keep their doors open. For information or donations or for any fundraising ideas, please contact them at Kuierkidz101@gmail.com or phone them at 079 626 9859.

By René and Anton van Zyl