Over 1,000 children affected by April floods receive play and learning materials
Children housed in community halls in the flood-hit province are receiving items aimed at helping them navigate life after the floods.
Across the province of KwaZulu-Natal, thousands of families who were affected by the devastating April floods are housed in community halls while recovery efforts continue.
Among these families are thousands of children who are vulnerable to learning losses, post-disaster trauma and little stimulation because of the circumstances they find themselves in. There are few, if any, books, toys, or safe play zones in most of the areas where the displaced are being housed.
UNICEF South Africa, as part of its relief response, partnered with KwaZulu-Natal-based non-profit organization, Impande and the Department of Social Development (DSD) to support a flood relief initiative targeting 600 families, which include over 1,000 children aged 0 to 9, who are currently housed in community halls in the worst-affected areas in and around the city of Durban.
Through this partnership, toys and other recreational materials are being distributed to children to encourage not only learning through play and development, but mental and emotional support as well following the trauma of the floods.
On Friday, 9 September, representatives of UNICEF, Impande and the DSD visited parents and caregivers in Nazareth, north of Durban, to hand out these much-needed recreational materials. Parents and caregivers were practically orientated by Impande community workers on how best to use the materials to engage and bond with children while aiding their mental and emotional development and healing. Demonstrations included story reading, building with blocks and a puppet show.
Around 150 families have been reached over the course of July and August, with 450 more targeted over the course of September.
The beneficiary families expressed their appreciation for the initiative, highlighting how important it was for their children – some of whom have not been back at daycare or school since the floods – to receive items that would stimulate learning and playing as there are no books, toys, or safe play zones in most of the areas where the displaced are being housed.
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