Campaign gives SA’s most vulnerable the right to play
According to UNICEF only 29 per cent of South African children have access to safe, child-appropriate play areas in their communities.
THE official launch of the Toy Movement Campaign took place at Constitution Hill on December 1.
About 300 children from local schools, including Nkosi’s Haven, received toys, meals and enjoyed live entertainment.
With the support from Just Fun (Pty) Ltd, Nickelodeon SA, Ty Inc and Value Logistics a further 44 000 toys will be distributed to hospitals, orphanages, schools and community centres across the country during the holiday season.
*Photo: Lucky Thusi.
Children are full citizens under South Africa’s Constitution, but South Africa faces enormous challenges when it comes to providing the children with safe play areas and early learning tools, such as toys.
According to UNICEF, only 29 per cent of South African children have access to safe, child-appropriate play areas in their communities. Unequal distribution of safe play areas and toys erode children’s right to play.
This, according to Gretchen Wilson-Prangley, CEO of Play Africa, a non-profit, social enterprise organisation championing inclusive public learning for the country’s most vulnerable.
With this in mind, Play Africa has partnered with leading international children’s entertainment corporation, Spin Master Corp, and through its global Toy Movement campaign, the organisations will give thousands of toys to disadvantaged children in the country.
*Photo: Lucky Thusi.
“Many South African children lack toys and other learning tools that can help stimulate a range of child-initiated, open-ended play activities, which bolster cognitive, physical, social and emotional development.
“In order to honour children and their right to play, we need to respond to neuroscience research that consistently proves the importance of play and stimulation in children’s healthy development and make provisions for play in every child’s daily life,” said Wilson-Prangley.
*Photo: Lucky Thusi.
Toy Movement has completed missions all over the world, including in Mexico, Israel, Jordan and Turkey and 2017 mark its first year in South Africa.
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