Reach South Africa

In collaboration with A Child Becomes... Preschool I branded a preschool donated to one of the most economically poor areas of South Africa.

<h1>Intent</h1>

The preschool needed to have an exciting visual presence to attract donors and inspire their support, and also provide an educational and playful environment for the students. In January I travelled to South Africa for two weeks to paint a mural on the sides of the container, using the local vegetation, geography, and animal life as inspiration.
Background

Months earlier, director of A Child Becomes Preschool Michelle Neal and her husband Ralph Pooler contacted a Xhosa Cheif, for his approval regarding the project. His response was enthusastic and soon the project was set in motion. Through advertisement and word of mouth, information spread about the preschool idea and donors gratiously supported the project. Upon completion, the container was shipped to a village in the Xhosa territory. The reactions of the locals to the preschool was beyond anything we could have hoped for. To read more about the process, check out the blog updated by A Child Becomes.
The Reality

Millions of children in South Africa face adverse conditions in their environment that put at risk their ability to reach their full potential. Their development is stunted by decades of inequality in the region that has led to poverty, malnutrition, sparse access to health care, and inadequate education.
The Facts

Only 33.8% of children in South Africa attend early learning programs.

There are an estimated 7.1 million children in South Africa under the age of 6, nearly two-thirds of which live in the poorest 40% of households.

The highest rates of poverty, 72.9%, can be found in the Eastern Cape where populations are spread out through rural and remote areas.

Poor living conditions–including food insecurity, inadequate sanitation and water—affect growth and development during critical years. In the Eastern Cape 60% of young children do not have access to adequate water, and 30% of young children fall below the food poverty line.