The Sondela Preschool was started in 1996 to reach the many children in the community who did not have the opportunity or finances to attend pre-school. At present 150 children, ages 2- 6 years, attend daily from 8:00am - 12:00pm. Children are divided into groups according to age and 7 teachers each have a class of between 20 and 30 children. Every day the children are provided with a plate of food and a cool drink from the kitchen director who prepares the meal. The purpose of the school is to teach the children the importance of accepting Jesus Christ as their Saviour and living according to God's plan for their lives. We believe that if they learn to live according to God's plan at a young age, it will make a significant difference in their lives as they grow up and in their communities in later years. They are also taught the basic concepts that will prepare them for formal schooling in Grade 1. Home language of the children is Xhosa, but they are taught in English as this helps them to be better prepared for later years of schooling. Sondela Preschool is totally dependant on fees paid by the parents of R50.00 (about $7.00) per child per month. This amount helps us to pay the teachers R700.00 per month (about $100.00). The school depends on donations for food, stationary, educational equipment and toys for the children. Many of the children are orphans and the number that have AIDS or TB is not known. Many parents/caregivers are unemployed and depend on a monthly grant from the government to feed and educate their children.