Over 1000 preschoolers and their caregivers are celebrating World Play Day today in Esangweni Public Park, Kuyasa, located on the edge of Khayelitsha.
Sikhula Sonke has been actively investing in early childhood development in Khayelitsha since 2001. Programmes include coaching and mentoring ECD teachers and their assistants, facilitating pre-school upgrades, family support for early childhood development through a Family and Community Motivator Programme, playgroup outreach to children who are not in pre-schools and managing an ECD resource section including a toy library service in the broader Harare Community Library.
Despite protests on the N2 around service delivery, laughter and happy voices fill Esangweni.
It’s the launch of Child Protection Week in Khayelitsha, facilitated by local non-profit Sikhula Sonke ECD which has been actively investing in early childhood development in Khayelitsha since 2001.
“These are humble beginnings”, says Mdebuka Mtwazi, Executive Director of Sikhula Sonke.
“This year the tag for Child Protection Week is ‘Sustainable Play’. For the children and caregivers in our community, this includes the important themes of child protection. I’m excited to have such great support from our partners. Child Protection is everyone’s business.”
“And today, it’s a privilege to be here, with so many of our community, watching children playing safely. Our Play Day is the biggest picnic for kids that Khayelitsha has ever hosted! And this is just the start of our campaign around child protection this week. We’ll be holding community dialogues during the week in Khunqu, Site B, Enkanini and Monwabisi Park.”
While children play games, listen to stories, watch children’s theatre, get their faces painted and enjoy the park, Michael Mapongwana Hospital is offering free health screening. Strategic conversations are happening and a community is being supported and encouraged.
“Today we can see true Ubuntu. This event is a joint project involving many who care about our children’s futures, including City of Cape Town’s Sport & Recreation, Metro Police, Fire and Rescue, Radio Khaltsha, Michael Mapongwana Hospital, Nal’I’bali, African Tales, Umbono Art Media and others. Truly it takes a village to raise a child,” says Mtwazi.
by 