{"id":72,"date":"2026-05-26T16:20:12","date_gmt":"2026-05-26T16:20:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/parademics.org\/?page_id=72"},"modified":"2026-06-01T17:25:03","modified_gmt":"2026-06-01T17:25:03","slug":"home","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/parademics.org\/","title":{"rendered":"Home"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t

Investing in Inclusive Education. Changing Lives at Scale.<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Para’demics Edu Centre \u2014 A Registered NPO Transforming Disability Education in South Africa’s Underserved Communities<\/p>

489,036 school-age children with disabilities in South Africa are not in school. Para’demics Edu Centre (276-933 NPO) was founded in 2020 to address this gap \u2014 delivering early childhood development, therapeutic support, and skills training in Freedom Park Township, Johannesburg South.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t

A Community-Driven Solution to a National Crisis<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Para’demics Edu Centre (PDEC) is a registered Non-Profit Organisation founded in 2020 by Thandekile Khumalo in Freedom Park Township, Johannesburg South. What began as a grassroots response to disability exclusion has grown into a structured, multi-programme centre serving children, teenagers, and young adults living with physical, mental, intellectual, and neurological disabilities.<\/p>

Operating in low-income communities where disability stigma runs deep and educational access is severely limited, Para’demics bridges the gap between vulnerable families and the support systems they desperately need \u2014 through early childhood education, therapeutic care, skills development, and community advocacy.<\/p>

In 2025, Para’demics was recognised as a winner of the AFD Group Small Projects Initiative Award and its founder was named among Inside Education’s 100 South African Shining Stars.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\tWhat We Do<\/span>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Every programme at Para’demics is designed to close the gap between children with disabilities and the support, education, and care they are entitled to \u2014 from preschool through to skills development and home-based care.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\"\"<\/figure>

ECD & Preschool<\/h3>

Inclusive early childhood education for children with disabilities \u2014 ensuring no child is excluded from their foundational years of learning and development.<\/p><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\"\"<\/figure>

Day Centre Services<\/h3>

Structured daily care for children with severe disabilities, providing therapeutic activities, safe supervision, and developmental programming.<\/p><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\"\"<\/figure>

Home-Based Care<\/h3>

Supporting families who cannot always manage hospital visits or therapy sessions alone \u2014 our caregivers go directly into homes to assist.<\/p><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t

The Problem We Are Solving<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t600,000+\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\tChildren with disabilities remain out of school in South Africa, according to Disability Info South Africa (DISA).\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t489,036\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

\nSchool-age children with disabilities are currently not attending any school, per the Department of Basic Education.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tEst. 2020\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\tPara'demics has been operational for 5 years, growing from a single room to a fully equipped multi-classroom centre in Freedom Park.\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t4 Programmes\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\tDelivering ECD, day centre services, home-based care, and annual community awareness events across Johannesburg South.\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\tFive Years of\nReal Impact.<\/span>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\"557632069_1275784784561155_6313800998977992343_n\"<\/figure><\/div>
\"585887569_1316665333806433_4507093890673045597_n\"<\/figure><\/div>
\"595917469_1330755385730761_5475897476969065095_n\"<\/figure><\/div>
\"597858947_1330755452397421_2686204765271370770_n\"<\/figure><\/div>
\"593310676_1330755505730749_6343851871289591219_n\"<\/figure><\/div>
\"653395769_1412066470932985_3140683469193843407_n\"<\/figure><\/div>
\"670620612_1435370655269233_8631219520947579250_n\"<\/figure><\/div>
\"668140569_1435370685269230_4538070817845762514_n\"<\/figure><\/div>
\"683135083_1449184360554529_8613866393599677521_n\"<\/figure><\/div>
\"690895212_1457825369690428_8431856611794926770_n\"<\/figure><\/div>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Investing in Inclusive Education. Changing Lives at Scale. Para’demics Edu Centre \u2014 A Registered NPO Transforming Disability Education in South Africa’s Underserved Communities 489,036 school-age children with disabilities in South Africa are not in school. Para’demics Edu Centre (276-933 NPO) was founded in 2020 to address this gap \u2014 delivering early childhood development, therapeutic support, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":102,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"elementor_header_footer","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-72","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/parademics.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/72","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/parademics.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/parademics.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/parademics.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/parademics.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=72"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/parademics.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/72\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":140,"href":"https:\/\/parademics.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/72\/revisions\/140"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/parademics.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/102"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/parademics.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=72"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}