Support Cotlands on #GivingTuesdaySA and volunteer
#GivingTuesday, which takes place on December 3, is part of a worldwide giving initiative driven through social media and supported by the goodwill of people.
DID you know that one million children in South Africa are not accessing play-based early learning opportunities, resulting in poor school readiness?
Increased access to play-based early learning opportunities is the most powerful way young children can learn.Their brains develop the most between the ages of zero to five and without the right learning opportunities, neural development cannot reach its fullest potential.
Play is vital to develop their literacy, maths, life and cognitive skills.
#GivingTuesday, which takes place on December 3, is part of a worldwide giving initiative driven through social media and supported by the goodwill of people.
It is a movement that kick starts the charitable giving season.
By supporting Cotlands’ holiday toy drive on #GivingTuesdaySA, through the collection of educational toys (new toys, used toys and/or create toys), Cotlands will use these toys to fill up their toy libraries.
Cotlands Toy Libraries offer a lending service to children who have no access to educational resources.
Cotlands’ mission is to increase access to play-based early learning opportunities for children who grow up in the poorest of communities.
Investing in early learning now will benefit every person living in South Africa in the long run. The future starts with investing in the foundational years.
Dr Monica Stach, Cotlands’ CEO said, “The purpose of Cotlands is to create an equitable, cohesive society for a brighter and sustainable future. Ensuring we offer early learning play to the most vulnerable of children gives them a better opportunity to break out of the intergenerational poverty cycle.
Our innovative toy library model has so many benefits for children and parents alike. There is also less environmental impact with this model as toys in the library are shared and fewer toys end up in landfills.”
Cotlands calls on volunteers on #Giving Tuesday to get involved in the following ways:
1. Donate old toys or buy new toys via our online toy store www.cotlands.org/store/
2. Sign-up to volunteer at one of their regional offices on #GivingTuesdaySA and #MakeAToy by upcycling waste materials.
3. Donate online, from R50 a month.
“Children who use the libraries also develop holistically as they get new toys every two weeks, which grows different ECD developmental domains. This results in better educational outcomes for our children in their years at formal school,” concluded Dr Stach.
If you are unable to volunteer on #GivingTuesdaySA, support Cotlands and sign-up for a monthly donation. Cotlands’ goal is to get 500 monthly individual donors to sign up on #GivingTuesdaySA to support their cause and it is calling on all South Africans to help fulfil their mission.
