"The Heart and Stroke Foundation's Community Children Programme is undoubtedly succeeding in its aim of fostering habits of good health at an early age." Prof Kader Asmal, Former Minister of Education & Patron in Chief of the Heart and Stroke Foundation.

Established in 1997, the Heart and Stroke Foundation’s Community Children’s Programme currently has more than 2, 1million children on the programme countrywide The focus area is crèche aged children (3-6 years), more recently extending to primary school children, in the previously disadvantaged areas.

The programme aims at educating the children as well as the teachers, parents and child minders - with a ripple effect into the community. Modules include nutrition, exercise, the effect of smoking, basic hygiene, HIV and Rheumatic Fever awareness.

The Children’s Programme is the 2007 recipient of ProCOR's newly established international Louise Lown "Heart Hero" Award, which recognises innovative, preventive approaches to promoting cardiovascular health in developing countries and other low-resource settings. ProCOR is a global health communication network that promotes knowledge sharing to prevent cardiovascular disease in developing countries.

The material is presented in five languages: English, Afrikaans, Sotho, Xhosa and Zulu. Many of the crèches feed the children their only meal of the day. An informal survey found that they focussed on providing bulk rather than nutrition.

Qualified dieticians from the Heart and Stroke Foundation offer individual counselling to assist with menu planning within their budget. A generous grant by Federal Marine's Lucky Star brand has enabled the Children's Programme to extend beyond the metropolitan areas into the rural areas.

We have successfully completed the West and South Coast and will be covering the Boland area this year.

Menu Planning
Crèche Menu Plan Poster
Click here for the 3 week Crèche Meal Plan

Randfontein Show 2008 (The Show with Heart)

The Randfontein Show generously selected the Heart and Stroke Foundation’s Children’s Programme as their 2008 charity beneficiary. The Randfontein Publicity Association and the show’s main sponsor, ABSA, each presented a cheque to the Heart and Stroke Foundation at the “Heart Warming” Gala Function on 27 February. More than 700 women were in attendance and they donned their favourite red outfits in support of the fight against heart disease in women. This money will aid in growing the programme into the rural areas of South Africa.



Beanie Winter Appeal

The Heart and Stroke Foundation is appealing for donations of wool to be used to make beanies for children on its Children's Programme. The majority of the children are from very poor areas and the Heart and Stroke Foundation wants to ensure that the little ones are kept warm this season. The Programme teaches children from previously disadvantaged areas on the importance of living a heart healthy life and the dangers of alcohol and smoking. For more information on donating funds or wool, contact Murishca Martheze at the Heart and Stroke Foundation on Tel: 021 447 4222 or email murishca@heartfoundation.co.za.

View our latest Childcare Newsletter for 2009

For further information, please contact the Head of Child Care, Helen Rolls at 021 447 4222 or helen@heartfoundation.co.za

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