A wave of real hope, real progress and real futures is sweeping through the lives of vulnerable children in the Strand community, thanks to the dedicated efforts of NPO Smiling Child.
Founded by Sharon Engelbrecht, the organisation exists to bridge the educational gap for children aged eight to 15 who have never had the opportunity to attend school.
In a landmark milestone, Smiling Child recently succeeded in registering 13 of its learners for the 2026 academic year, ensuring they will finally set foot inside a classroom.
“Our core purpose is not only to teach, but to get children into a school,” Engelbrecht pointed out.
“Many of the learners, some as old as 13, have never been inside a classroom before. Securing placement for those requiring Grade 1 admission in 2026 was a monumental task, achieved through direct intervention.
If the Department of Education had not stepped in to help us help the parents, these children would once again have been excluded from school, despite education being compulsory from age six.
The successful registration was a hands-on, multi-step process undertaken by the Smiling Child in partnership with the provincial education department and social service organisation Badisa.
The most significant obstacle was addressing the reality of parents who had simply never registered their children for school. “We are working with 10-year-olds who have never been inside a classroom,” Engelbrecht said.
“The consequences of these delays are enormous, academically, emotionally, and socially.”
Reasons for the children being out of school are complex, ranging from parents feeling unable to enforce routines to children simply deciding they wouldn’t attend.
Many learners are significantly behind, with some 10-year-olds only now learning to read and write, and some still operating at a Grade R level.
Smiling Child is committed to walking this journey with them, not just placing them in school, but helping them succeed. Their support includes daily after-school homework assistance, consistent encouragement, care and motivation to help them stay in school.
Smiling Child currently operates on small individual donations and relies on generous food contributions. The organisation is awaiting Section 18A certification, which will allow them to approach larger corporate funders.
The community and businesses can assist by sponsoring a child for just R1 200 per year.
The biggest dreams for expansion are funding for a computer for every learner โ to allow tailored learning โ and a proper building with equipped classrooms and a kitchen.
“Child trafficking is a real threat in our community,” Engelbrecht warned.
Learners often walk through unsafe areas, with some having been threatened with knives. Smiling Child urgently needs a school bus to safely transport the 30 learners and seven volunteers each day.
Despite the challenges Smiling Child has seen meaningful transformation this year. Some of the memorable moments include an older learner who struggled with severe anger outbursts, now resolving conflict on his own; a learner receiving a prosthesis and long-term care; and a 13-year-old who had never been in school, but is now reading, writing and doing basic mathematics. One learner has also fully committed to the programme and turned away from drug involvement.
“Every one of these children has crept into our hearts,” Engelbrecht said. “We love them deeply and want the very best for them.”
๏ฎ To support the cause, contact Smiling Child on 072 372 3410 or [email protected].
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