Strategic Philanthropy in Action: Investec's Support for ECD

Last year, 46% of Investec Private Wealth (Foundations) investments were allocated to education, a sector it describes as “the greatest catalyst for change.” This strategic focus has significantly strengthened communities by enabling the DO MORE FOUNDATION to scale EAT LOVE PLAY TALK, our national parent and caregiver support programme.

Education is the key to uplifting underprivileged communities and creating a sustainable future. Investing in quality early learning programmes has a transformative impact that extends beyond academics; they help build young children’s social and emotional skills, cognitive development, and creative problem-solving abilities. Early Childhood Development (ECD) practitioners, parents, and caregivers play a crucial role in encouraging these skills and the holistic development of young children.

The transformative power of quality early learning and parenting support

The quality of parenting that children receive during childhood plays a key role in influencing their developmental competence and life trajectories. A healthy parent-child relationship can have a positive impact on various areas of a child’s development, including language and communication, executive function and self-regulation, sibling and peer relationships, academic attainment, and mental and physical health.

Aligned with the mission of the DO MORE FOUNDATION, Investec, through its clients, supports the scalability of EAT LOVE PLAY TALK (ELPT), a parent and caregiver support programme the Foundation rolls out nationally. ELPT is delivered by community-based facilitators who actively engage ECD practitioners, parents, and caregivers in promoting early learning through play, establishing food and nutrition literacy, health, and hygiene practices, and cultivating positive parenting skills to improve parent-child relationships.

ELPT was developed in response to poor nutrition, learning and development outcomes for young children in South Africa, and is carefully aligned to deliver the Nurturing Care Framework for ECD and the messaging in the Department of Health guidelines and policies. The seven-workshop programme uses participatory, non-didactic methods such as group discussions, illustrated stories of parent-child interaction, role-plays to practice parenting skills, home activity assignments, and collective problem-solving to support key messages.

Investing in the futures of young children in Molteno and beyond

Molteno is a small town in the Stormberg Mountain range of the Eastern Cape, a province that has long been South Africa’s poorest. Like many towns across the country, high rates of unemployment and poverty coupled with insufficient infrastructure and underfunding negatively impact this vulnerable community’s ability to thrive. Investec Private Wealth has invested in the long-term solution of these systemic challenges, having started funding in Molteno to now facilitating the programme’s national scalability.

Investec Private Wealth’s commitment to education through its support of the DO MORE FOUNDATION’s initiatives highlights the impact that strategic investments in ECD can have. By empowering practitioners, parents and caregivers with the skills and knowledge they need to support young children’s development, and by addressing the specific challenges faced by each distinct area, Investec is playing its part in building stronger, more resilient communities.

Over the years, philanthropy has evolved from immediate short-term giving towards strategic philanthropy that focuses on sustainable, impact-driven societal change. Our partnership with Investec Private Wealth (Foundations) exemplifies this evolution. By investing in the EAT LOVE PLAY TALK programme nationally and supporting ECD initiatives across South Africa, Investec Private Wealth (Foundations) is contributing to the creation of a more equitable and prosperous future for all.

Contact our Partnerships Team to work with us to create better tomorrows for South Africa’s young children, their families and communities: iris.naidoo@domore.org.za