This project aims to provide toy kits to 600 vulnerable children ages 0-2, to support healthy growth and brain development. Our goal is to provide each household in our home-visiting programme with their own small set of puzzles, sensory balls, building blocks and stacking cups so that parents can help their children develop to their full potential. The project is operating in two disadvantaged communities in Cape Town: Langa Township and the gang-ridden area of Lavender Hill.
For people living in Langa and Lavender Hill, children's toys are often seen as a luxury. The toys young children do have, are made from recyclable material or altogether non-existent. An absence of toys leaves children unstimulated in the home, and the 'critical window' period where the most brain growth takes place (age 0-2), is missed. Early intervention through the provision of toy kits will benefit 600 children in these poor communities, providing early stimulation for healthy development.
Learning through play is an important part of a child's development. In SA, the school drop-out rate is high. A large reason is that children lack the early support they need for the development of fine and gross motor skills and hand-eye coordination so they start school unprepared. Parents aren't always aware of the value of toys. We teach caregivers how to encourage play and exploration while they learn about the value that interaction with their child has on early development.
Age and stage appropriate toys support positive and healthy brain development, contributing to the cognitive, physical, social, and emotional well-being of children so they can be school-ready. We aim to equip 600 young children for their futures and give them an equal start in life. Toys are central to a child's early development, helping children progress confidently into formal schooling. Once outgrown, the toys can be passed on to other children in the community, or younger brothers/sisters.
This project has provided additional documentation in a PDF file (projdoc.pdf).
