The Birth of ASAP

Nancy Schongalla visited the Likhwezi Preschool in 2018 on a tour of Langa Township near Cape Town, South Africa.  Impressed by the contrast between the extreme poverty surrounding the school and the quality of care and teaching inside the small building, Nancy began correspondence with the principal, Nomonde Tshamlambo. She learned that donations from tourists had enabled this preschool to flourish. With guidance from Marlèse Nel, and funds from Nancy, her friends, United Christian Church in Levittown, PA, and Princeton Seminary students on a study tour to South Africa, the Likhwezi Preschool received a plethora of educational toys, a photocopier, bowls and spoons, clothing, and nonperishable food.

The Nels returned to Princeton, NJ in October 2019 for a 3-month study leave.  Nancy and the Nels met weekly to discuss their shared dream of funding preschool education beyond the LIkhwezi School, so that disadvantaged children in the Pretoria and Johannesburg areas could also be well-prepared for first grade, when government-funded education begins.  “Adopt a South African Preschool” seemed a fitting name for this expanded mission, although it should really be, “Adopt South African Preschools”. By August 2025, we have adopted not “a” preschool, but 231 daycares who with access to toys and mentoring, are becoming dynamic preschools. We are resourcing the learning and development of 11,62 children, and 1,227 women!  

A beautiful partnership formed between ASAP and PEN Forum (Participate, Envision, Navigate). PEN is a large, social service/justice nonprofit which was already reaching out to informal, in-home daycares. PEN asked ASAP to fund Educational Toy Library Training Hubs to make a quality preschool experience accessible in impoverished communities.

Marlese Nel orders educational toys at cost from suppliers. PEN preschool coaches train preschool owners and staff in the many ways each toy or game they borrow develops the cognitive, physical, and relational foundation in children. Owners are coached in business management and aspects of running an effective preschool. They attend weekly curriculum planning meetings based on themes in the national preschool curriculum. They borrow multiple sets of different educational toys at the lesson planning sessions. They welcome weekly visits by their PEN preschool coach who assists with implementation and demonstrating the multiple ways each toy develops skills like counting, pattern and color recognition, imagination, concentration, small and large motor skills, teamwork, persistence...

ASAP donors are maintaining 8 Educational Toy Library Training Hubs in inner-city and urban areas of 3 provinces. Our 9th hub (the second one in Soweto) will be up and running by December 2025.