We connect different ages, backgrounds and cultures and facilitate CONNECTION AND BUILDING RESILIENCE THROUGH PLAY.
We facilitate children to connect with their families in the Play@Home programme, with their communities through our Circles Programme and with their broader South African family through our Fun Day programme.
Through our Play Ambassador and Volunteer programmes we enable youth and adults to build themselves and
to share their time and life learnings to impact children lives.
Connecting youth as positive role models with their communities
Our Play Ambassadors implement the Play@Home programme, and help to run Enriched Play Experiences including Fun Days, Storytime Circles and Community PlayDates. They are supported by our team with training, mentorship and a peer support structure.
Hear what Puleng has to say about her experience
Our youth empowerment programme supports young people to become positive role models who use play to uplift their communities. Youth from the communities we work in apply to participate in a journey of personal development and to become a Sisanda Play Ambassador.
They learn how to deliver our Play programmes to positively influence the children and families in their community while developing the skills of an inspiring and confident peer supporter and leader.
Connecting through Enriched Play experiences.
Since 2009 and we have been creating monthly EXPLOSIONS of fun!!! Children and volunteers from different backgrounds and cultures are united through Play, Fun, and New experiences, enabling the breakdown of prejudices and barriers and a chance to explore the world.
A full day experience is arranged in areas of natural beauty or at locations that are unfamiliar for many children. We include visits to cultural events and unique places of interest. Children’s home, community centres and NGO’s work with us to identify children who would benefit from a day out.
Play is a child's way of communicating and learning. We create a range of Play Experiences to bring diverse opportunities to children and for parents, youth and role models to connect with them.
Fun Days are Outings, Community PlayDates are events in a community hall enabling parents to attend and Sisanda Circles are recreational groups. Sisanda Carnivals bring the fun to children in convalescent homes and hospitals has also bought a smile to many children’s faces.
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Fun Days Overview
Children's Comments
"It was my fIirst time in the garden"
"I learnt I could do art. I didn’t think I could"
"We had fun meeting new people"
"We learnt kindness and respect of others"
Volunteers Comments
"I believe this gave the children a chance to forget about their problems for a few hours.
It allowed them to explore and not to be surrounded by stress,
and it changed how I view the things I have. I have so much to be grateful for."
Connecting families through play
This 8 week programme facilitates bonding of families and enhances interaction and connection across generations through the use of Play. Play is not comfortable for everyone. But learning to laugh and enjoy spending time together can deepen relationships, love and understanding of each other. The Play@home programme helps families to shake off inhibitions and to get silly together and helps expose the joy of getting to know each other.
Sisanda Play Ambassadors guide families in their community on interactive play and provide tips to create a healthy habit of quality family time. They visit weekly to provide Sisanda Play Sheets and give suggestions on how to engage the whole family and to empower adults to strengthen family relationships.
parents Comments
“What you guys are doing is very helpful and it does make the difference in one’s family. We are now able to talk about our emotions and important things we never spoke about before."
"The activities helped me understand the things they like and the things they don’t like.”
"Ever since he joined the programme it helped him to keep focus on school work."
"My kids were very violent towards other kids and ever since this programme they became respectful and nice and always playing and fun"
Children's Comments
"Playing together has made us more open about talking to help each other."
"Having fun time with the family is the best thing ever. It has bought us together, there is less fighting now."
A quick word from our Play Ambassador
