We need to focus on helping children to build their educational foundations and, as almost 80% of a child’s brain potential is established by the age of 4, we need to do what we can to provide children under 5 with as many opportunities to learn through play as possible. However, so many young children in our country (our future engineers, doctors, teachers…….) spend most of their days in a barren room and an empty, dusty play area, as the high cost of educational toys makes them unavailable to homes, crèches and schools with limited financial resources.  Children who should be actively learning through play are restricted to reciting the alphabet, the days of the week, the months of the year – meaningless repetition in hope that they will “pass” Grade 1.

The team at Singakwenza has therefore developed a large number of toys and teaching materials made purely from recycling. The parent or educator only needs a pair of sharp scissors and a marker pen and she will be able to get all the rest of the materials needed to provide an educational, fun-filled environment for the children in her care - from the bin! Bread bags become skipping ropes, polystyrene vegetable trays become puzzles, yoghurt containers become shape sorters and margarine containers become cars. And if the toy breaks, it is easy (and free!) to make another one.