THE Toys R Us team got their hands dirty donating and planting indigenous plants at the Durban Child and Youth Care Centre in Glenwood yesterday in celebration of Earth Day.
Recognising the importance of instilling in children the responsibility to respect and protect the environment, the green fingered team brought in a number of succulent plants to beautify and enrich one of the gardens at the Home.
Heeding the global call for increased environmental awareness, toy retailer has encouraged children to take ownership of their environment through a flower planting initiative to mark World Earth Day.
The team, together with children from the Durban Children’s Home, planted a variety of succulent foliage in the home’s gardens in a bid to prompt the youngsters to sustain their environment.
“We believe that environmental conservation is a shared responsibility and therefore chose to lead by example by making a sustainable contribution to the environment,” said Nicole Annells, marketing manager, Toys R Us South Africa.
“We understand that environmental awareness must be fostered within children at early age when their attitudes toward the world are forming. By involving the children from the home in this initiative we hope to offer them an opportunity to learn through experience.”
The exercise further exposed the children to other environmental concerns such as water scarcity- in a bid to conserve water, succulents were specifically chosen due to their durability and minimal water dependence.
Thina Hlophe, the home’s resource developer, said she welcomed the activity and the excitement which it spurred among the children. “Children learn best through experience, so being involved in this process helps them to appreciate the value of plants,” she said.
“Having planted the succulents themselves also gives each of the children a sense of responsibility and ownership, which will make them more inclined to nurture and protect these plants. It adds colour looks beautiful and the children love to interact with people so really enjoyed the afternoon of gardening. While we always appreciate the generous donations from people, I think the kids love the special time interacting with people,” she added.
