Warren Farrer, CEO of the DO MORE FOUNDATION says, "This Mandela Day, we rolled up our sleeves to create lasting change, one playground at a time. We used this opportunity to embrace the power of play and its crucial role in ECD, as it is integral to a young child’s potential to thrive in adulthood."

Driven to give back to their communities, groups of dedicated volunteers around the country selected at least one ECD centre in their area that desperately needed upgrades, particularly the outdoor play areas. The upgrades were carefully chosen in consultation with each centre's principle, says the foundation.

The DO MORE FOUNDATION says that while the needs of the ECD centres varied, they all focussed on play-based learning, with upgrades including:

  • areas for imaginative and sensory play
  • reading corners
  • sandpits
  • bike tracks, and
  • gardens.

The foundation says that this is because play is essential in nurturing various areas of early development, including: 

  • gross motor skills
  • fine and visual coordination
  • cognitive and executive functioning, and
  • social, emotional and physical abilities. 

The first five years of a child's life are critical for developing concepts, skills and attitudes that form the foundation for lifelong learning. These new additions will play an integral role in providing the young children at these centres more diverse play activities to enhance their early learning and development experience, says the foundation.

Volunteers are the Champions of Community Spirit  

Claudia Palmer, commercial finance manager at Sunbake in Rustenburg, and 14 fellow volunteers upgraded a local ECD centre, say, "It was an important opportunity for us to try and help where we can develop our young children as they are our future. If we do not look after our young minds, we will not grow as a country."

The DO MORE FOUNDATION says that the team: 

  • painted a wooden playhouse and tyre racetrack
  • built a play kitchen, workbench and car, and
  • planted a flower garden.

Thapelo Molele, time and attendance administrator at RCL FOODS Speciality Division in Centurion upgraded two local ECD centres in nearby Diepsloot. Molele says, "Helping community is something that I grew up doing. My family used to cook and serve meals to those in need in our community. No one should go to sleep hungry."

According to the foundation, Molele and their team:

  • painted indoor and outdoor play areas
  • donated reading books, toys and gardening tools
  • painted South African flags with the children, and
  • prepared lunch for the children.

Philile Mkhize, human resources at Rainbow Chicken in Wolwehoek, and about 14 other volunteers will be upgrading their selected ECD centre in Sasolburg later in the month.

Mkhize says, "It is so important since giving back enhances the lives of others and helps narrow the wealth-poverty disparity. It also enriches your own heart and nourishes your soul."

On Friday, 26 July, the DO MORE FOUNDATION says that the team will be: 

  • painting the centre
  • installing a swing set
  • fixing bathroom taps, and
  • planting a garden at the ECD centre.

The Power of Partnerships for Wider Social Change

The success of this annual nationwide project relies on partnerships with organisations that recognise the importance of investing in children's early years.

For Mandela Day events, these multi-sectoral collaborations play a crucial role in empowering play-based learning at ECD centres in some of South Africa's most disadvantaged communities, says the DO MORE FOUNDATION.

Businesses and organisations possess the resources and expertise to address complex social issues, such as poverty, education and health.

By joining forces, businesses and organisations like the DO MORE FOUNDATION can combine their strengths, resources and networks to achieve a greater impact together than they could individually, concludes the foundation.

The DO MORE FOUNDATION's Mandela Day partners comprise:

  • Advanced Cleaning Services
  • Anchor Yeast
  • Buckman
  • CHEP
  • CODE SA
  • CSG Cleaning Group
  • Dunns
  • Durban University of Technology
  • Eatfresh
  • Europcar
  • Hertz Car Rental
  • Intechem
  • Lift Airlines
  • Nampak
  • Natural Holdings
  • NurseTech
  • PEPKOR Speciality
  • PilotFish
  • Rainbow Chicken
  • RCL FOODS
  • Refinery
  • Remgro
  • Riverview
  • Sani Car
  • Shoe City
  • Siqalo Foods
  • SPCC
  • Tekkie Town
  • Tsebo Solutions Group, and
  • Vector Logistics. 

For more information, visit www.domore.org.za. You can also follow the DO MORE FOUNDATION on Facebook, LinkedIn, X, or Instagram. 

*Image courtesy of contributor