Ntataise - leader in early childhood development Ntataise (meaning to lead a young child by the hand and pronounced n-tata-ee-se) is an independent not for-profit organisation founded in South Africa in 1980 to help women in poor rural areas gain the knowledge and skills to establish early childhood development (ECD) programmes for children in their communities. For children from disadvantaged backgrounds, timely and appropriate interventions can often reverse the effects of poverty and early deprivation and maximise the development of a child’s innate potential. One way of achieving this is by increasing access to good quality early childhood development programmes.Pre-schools become the focal point and catalyst for wider community development and change. Over 10 000 women, reaching more than 300 000 children, have benefited from Ntataise’s training and support to date – support which has given them the capacity to help themselves. "My dear young people; I see the light in your eyes, the energy of your bodies, and the hope that is in your spirit. I know it is you, not I, who will make the future. It is you, not I, who will fix our wrongs and carry forward all that is right with the world.” Nelson Mandela Copyright 2007 / 08 Ntataise | Tel: (+27) 56 343 3311 / 2331 | Fax: (+27) 56 343 1318 | E-mail: ecd@ntataise.co.za a Chocolate Shoebox site