DO MORE Heroes Bring More Play to Rustenburg ECD Centre

For Claudia Palmer, a Commercial Finance Manager at Sunbake Rustenburg, Mandela Day is not just another day. It’s a call to action, a chance to make a real meaningful difference in her community.

This year, Claudia was one of 15 volunteers to join the DO MORE FOUNDATION’s ‘Mandela Day of Play’ Campaign, spending their 18th of July upgrading Ligkasteel Lig vir Kinders, an Early Childhood Development (ECD) centre in Rustenburg’s East End that desperately needed support.

Like many ECD centres across South Africa, Ligkasteel provides a safe environment for young children to play, learn and grow during their most vital development years. However, as an unregistered ECD centre, Ligkasteel lacks adequate funding and resources, which is why Claudia and her team of community volunteers (aka DO MORE Heroes) chose it for their Mandela Day action.

They undertook a series of upgrades, which were carefully chosen in consultation with the centre principle. Together they painted an outside playhouse, tyre racetrack, and chalk paint board; built a hopscotch course on the ground, balancing beam, and a wooden car; planted a flower garden; and added ‘mop horses’, balls and hula hoops to the playground equipment.

The DO MORE FOUNDATION prioritises play on its annual Mandela Day campaigns because it is essential to young children’s learning and development. The simple act of play builds gross motor, fine and visual coordination, cognitive and executive functioning, and social, emotional and physical skills.

Claudia takes pride in being a DO MORE Hero as it keeps her connected with others’ struggles: "It makes me realize that even if I have it difficult in life, there are people worse off. Every little bit I can do to relieve one kid's experience by donating my time to paint a wall or a tire is worth a million smiles to them, showing them kindness that they might not get elsewhere."

Ligkasteel Lig vir Kinders is just one of 192 ECD centre upgrades in the DO MORE FOUNDATION’s national ‘Mandela Day of Play’ Campaign, which brought together over 25 business partners and over 500 volunteers to bring more play to approximately 9,600 young children across South Africa.

Reflecting on the day's achievements, Claudia has a powerful message for others: "Give, and it will be given back to you. What you give away to improve the lives of others will always come back manifold, and you will always have plenty to enrich more lives."

They might have been at Ligkasteel Lig vir Kinders for just a few hours, but through their collective efforts, their contribution was multiplied and long-lasting. Their story is a testament to the power of community spirit and the profound impact of giving back, one day at a time.