Jungle gym to give kids ‘hours of fun’

A NEW jungle gym constructed in the Phumlani informal settlement in Philippi should go a long way to helping keep children “safe and off the streets”.

Dedicating more than their 67 minutes ahead of Mandela Day tomorrow, the Cape Argus and Expresso’s Morning Show team helped to construct the jungle gym using materials donated by Builders Warehouse.

Kids could be seen climbing on the structure, shrieking with excitement as the team added the finishing touches.

Local resident, Yulanda November, who had come to collect her three-year-old daughter Natasha, was happy that the community was receiving a new jungle gym.

“My friend’s eight-year-old child was killed in the road last year in December and since these initiatives, you do not see kids in the street anymore.

“They are always here playing and there are adults watching.

“These are good people, and they are doing a really great job,” she said.

The Director of Youth Solutions Africa, John Philmon, said the project was only one of many initiatives the organisation had undertaken – in collaboration with Driving Spirit – to uplift the community.

“Education will give them (the children) a better foundation to build a future because we are faced with a lot of challenges.

“There are a lot of kids around here who cannot read or write.

“When speaking to parents we find that there is not enough motivation for the kids to go to school,” he said.

The Expresso Morning Show’s account director Andrew Katzwinkel said the project was an “amazing experience” and had received overwhelming support.

“Getting to know some of the guys helping us out has been an amazing feeling and a great way to give back on Mandela Day. I think Nelson Mandela did so much for the country and for the world,” he said.

His colleague, Expresso Morning Show presenter Ewan Strydom, encouraged South Africans to do something positive.

“As a dad, I know how important playtime is for kids.

“The fact that none existed here is shocking. This jungle gym will supply them with hours of fun and give them more of a childhood.

“It’s a small thing but it means a lot and I think every single person must do what they can,” he said.

The jungle gym will be unveiled on Nelson Mandela Day tomorrow.