Why It Matters.

So much of who we are today was defined by what happened to and around us in our first 6 years of life.

The type and quality of experiences in the first 6 years of children’s lives determine the architecture of their developing brain – laying the foundations for lifelong health, learning and relationship building. These critically important first 6 years and the experiences they hold, define the pathway of a child’s individual future, and the future of society as a whole.

South Africa is recognised as the most economically unequal country in the world.

Even after 25 years of freedom from Apartheid, the majority of children born each year are born into poverty. Too many children are deprived of the benefits of an engaging home learning environment, a safe community, access to a high quality group learning programme and adequate basic health care and good nutrition. As a result, half of all children in South Africa’s poorest households begin school at a developmental level significantly below the expected standard.

The foundations for these children’s future and for our society as a whole needs positive disruption – urgently!

We believe that untapped potential to solve pressing early childhood challenges exists. Our aim is to find and unlock this potential by attracting and supporting early stage ventures, while igniting greater innovation and entrepreneurship in the early childhood development ecosystem.

We know that many of these early stage ventures will not succeed as hoped and that we’ll learn from these failures. Some are likely to bring about incremental improvements that would not otherwise have happened.

And one or two might just be revolutionary – transforming the early childhood development landscape in fundamental ways; forging foundations that allow every child the opportunity of a bright future in a flourishing society.