During 2017 TTN and Mondi met with Cotlands to discuss the introduction of a 'toy library' concept aimed at ECD (Early Childhood Development) in the Mkhondo district.

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Cotlands is a well established NGO, widely accepted by Government Departments.  The Project is unique, in that it introduces a new aspect of combining the Mobile Clinic and the Toy Library (ECD).

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TTN is currently running a 6 month trial period, where one of our Mobile Clinics (Mobile 2) goes out to the Sites, towing a Toy Library Trailer to visit 35 villages for the month.  Early feedback is that the Programme has great potential, and this may lead to the integration of ECD Toy Libraries into all of TTN's established Sites.

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How does it work?

When the clinic stops at a Site, the trailer is unhooked and the Gazebo, tables & chairs and toys are all unpacked.  The Toy Library Facilitator engages the little children waiting at the Sites with the parents, and the children then come over and play.  There are various 'areas' where the children can play and learn.  At the tables and chairs they learn to colour in and draw, they play on the mats (with dolls and dress ups), and there are also building blocks, balls and other activities that all teach them motor skills and hand-eye coordination.

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We look foward to seeing how this project develops over the next few months, and to see the impact it is going to have on the lives of children that are not attending a creche, or are merely sitting at home/at the site with nothing to do, or learn in the way of ECD.

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