By SIYAMTHANDA PONGCO
Makhanda’s youth face many challenges: unemployment, drugs, alcohol, and many others. It’s easy to get caught up with the wrong crowd.
With this in mind, St Mary’s Development and Care Centre in Albany Road recently organised a play day for children.
On a beautiful warm day, children, parents and event organisers were on the field playing, interacting, and having a good time.
One of the event organisers, Glyneise Arries, said that her team and local parents had identified a need for a deeper connection between parents and their children.
Children do not have the same opportunities to play on the outside as we used to when we were young, Glyneise said.
At the start of the year, a situation analysis was conducted with parents, who lamented the lack of safe spaces for children to play. St Mary’s contacted Siyadlala Siyafunda, based in Cape Town, for help.
Glyneise said children are caught up in social media, and parents find it difficult to connect with them. They don’t have time to learn social skills, play with other children, and make friends. This is not the parent’s fault as parents are also preoccupied with providing food and clothing for their families, which steals the parent’s time from their children.
It might be frustrating for both parents and children.
According to the Bill of Rights and the Constitution of South Africa, a child has a right to play. To achieve this, St Mary’s is opening small clubs to equip parents with the skills that will enable them to create a safe environment whereby children will be free to play with their friends and their parents.
During the day, several parents played games such as hula hoops, cricket, and many more. Everyone wore bright smiles on their faces.
