STORMS RIVER – On 16 June, the Storms River community came together for the Community Youth Day Celebration, a special day dedicated to celebrating local children and creating opportunities for them to discover their interests, talents and potential.

Hosted with the support of the Community Youth Collective, a registered non-profit organisation in Tsitsikamma, the celebration was built around a simple but powerful message: with dedication, encouragement and a supportive environment, children can achieve so much. Over 70 local children were in attendance.

Chanel Gardner, a Director of the CYC, said, “The whole day was filled with activities designed to inspire, educate and entertain. We want to give children the opportunity to experience new skills that they haven’t had access to before.”

Many community members and organisations volunteered their time, skills and resources to make the day possible.

Thanks to Art from Scratch with Danna and Wally, children were able to create their own art pieces, participate in a drumming circle, and learn about environmental awareness, among other things.

Gardner said members of the Music Sprouts Access Programme entertained with performances by the violin ensemble, brass ensemble and guitar groups, while Ubuntu Martial Arts put on a vibrant Jujitsu demonstration and anti-bullying talk.

“We are very grateful to Tsitsikhaya for sponsoring vetkoek for all the children, Tsitrus Cafe for providing pancake batter and Taste Bistro for the use of their sound equipment,” said Gardner.

“Without the support of the Storms River community, an event like this wouldn’t be possible,” she added.

The excitement of the day continued with The Games Team, providing fun and engaging games for the children to play throughout the day, all created out of recycled materials especially for the occasion.

Gardner said a Book Corner sponsored by Gina Wayland, a Montessori-qualified educator, created a space where children could discover the joy of reading and storytelling.

She thanked Kalita van Zijl from Petco, a voluntary Producer Responsibility Organisation (PRO) that manages the collection and recycling of PET plastic bottles, jars and liquid board packaging to promote a circular economy.

Van Zijl joined the celebration virtually to share an impactful recycling talk with the children.

Gardner said Van Zijl’s message helped highlight the importance of caring for the environment and showed the children how they could contribute to positive change in their own community.

She said the Community Youth Day Celebration was a reminder of the strength found in community involvement.

Gardner said that through the generosity, passion and commitment of volunteers, children were given more than just a day of activities; they were given opportunities, encouragement and the belief that their ideas, talents and dreams mattered.

To learn more about the Community Youth Collective or to make a monthly pledge of R200 to support music, art and recycling programmes, visit www.communityyouthcollective.org.

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