Barbara Bell 1939 - 2025 has left us, but her legacy as a campaigner for early childhood care and education will live on. She died in her sleep in the early hours of 28 June after a debilitating illness, yet only months earlier, managed to speak at the launch of the book, Children - Our future , produced by herself and lifelong partner, Terry Bell.
A critical view of the struggle for early childhood care and education, the book was her special project in a lifetime of promoting ideas that served humanity. It took more than 15 years to reach fruition as she laboured as a researcher to help Terry produce weekly labour and economic columns, other books and campaigning pamphlets.
Among the books is the autobiographical A Hat, a Kayak and Dreams of Dar and the hidden history expose, Fordsburg Fighter .
Fordsburg Fighter , the story of an umKhonto we Sizwe volunteer, was in the mould of the internationally published Unfinished Business, South Africa, Apartheid and Truth , which carries both my name and that of Terry known also as Ntsimbi - a bell, making noise. Barbara was the chief researcher, organiser, defender and effective backbone of that enterprise.