In an effort to highlight the importance of early childhood skills development and celebrate National Children’s Day in South Africa, the Emirates Airline Foundation and non-profit organisation Singakwenza hosted a Waste 2 Toys workshop at the River Café at the Field and Study Centre on 23 November.
The Singakwenza Foundation trains practitioners, parents and caregivers at a basic level to provide a fun, educational activities that enable young children to learn through play. Through this, the foundation has become well known for its educational toys made out of recyclable material.
“In addition to a two-year training and mentorship programme, the organisations host workshops that teach adults the importance of stimulation in the early years and how to make their own toys and teaching resources by using household packaging that is usually thrown away,” said the Singakwenza’s founder Julie Hay.
“The key is to be able to provide children with many different play activities. A child will learn the same skills with a rope made from plastic bags as they would with one from a shop. It is the availability of a variety of toys that is important, not how much they cost.”
Hay demonstrated a number of toys such as cars, counters, puzzles and building blocks which have been made entirely out of recycled material.
“The children don’t look at this as trash, they treasure it.”
With the support of Emirates, the training and mentorship programme has thus far provided almost 5 000 children with a strong foundation, preparing them for school. Through the Waste 2 Toys workshops, Singakwenza has trained 2 931 adults who now provide opportunities for playful learning to over 49 800 children.
“The passion and dedication that Julie and the Singakwenza team have toward the cause of early education is commendable, and we are proud to support them in the efforts. Hundreds of children have been given the opportunity to learn through purposeful play and have access to the basic right to education through the work that Singakewenza has done,” Emirates Airline regional manager for Southern Africa, Fouad Canhye concluded.
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