Victor Mecoamere

Tomorrow night belongs to our nation builders.

They will be recognised, acknowledged and rewarded for their passion, compassion, dedication and selflessness.

Sowetan, Absa, SABC Education, the Office of the Rights of the Child in the Presidency, Education Department and SA Congress for Early Childhood Development (ECD) will honour more than 80 early childhood practitioners, managers and representatives of home and community-based early childhood development sites and ECD resources and training organisations.

The venue is the South African Reserve Bank auditorium in Pretoria.

Staying true to the Absa and Sowetan ECD Awards theme - Discover, Nurture and Prosper - this nation-building partnership is:

lExposing, recognising, acknowledging, rewarding and developing accredited, qualified practitioners and encouraging properly-registered ECD centres to help create a highly skilled and motivated ECD movement;

lPromoting and recognising the excellence, hard work, dedication and investment in the future of our children by ECD practitioners, centres and organisations involved in the ECD sector;

lContributing to the child's development by enhancing the preaching and practising of good ECD values and culture relating to children's health, nutrition, education, emotional, spiritual, physical and psychological development - as well as encouraging parental involvement in ECD.

Early childhood development training and resource organisations are also encouraged to register with - and become accredited to - the Education, Training and Development Practices Sector Education and Training Authority and adhere to the rules and regulations of the South African Qualifications Authority and the National Qualifications Framework.