iDike-Lethu News celebrates 21st anniversary with children’s fun day
Sandiso Buthelezi
iDike-Lethu News celebrated its 21st anniversary by hosting a fun day for children at Ekhaya Early Learning Centre, an accredited early childhood development centre in Alice.
The event aimed to appreciate the children, create opportunities for interaction and encourage learning through fun and educational activities. The programme was organised for children aged one to two years.
The day began with a warm welcome from childcare teacher Nokwindla Papu, who greeted the children in isiXhosa and encouraged them to feel comfortable and enjoy the activities.
The welcome was followed by nursery rhymes that encouraged the children to clap, dance and sing along. Despite the hot weather, the children participated enthusiastically in the activities.
One of the activities involved the children using crayons to draw or write on coloured paper. Stars were initially awarded to children whose drawings or writing stood out. However, after some children became upset about receiving fewer stars than others, the organisers decided that every child would receive one, recognising that the event was about encouraging participation and celebrating the children.
As temperatures rose, the programme moved indoors to ensure the children’s comfort. The children then took part in a storytelling session, with Papu translating the story into isiXhosa to make it accessible to them in their preferred language.
The session encouraged interaction, with some children asking for the story to be read again. Papu also explained the rules the children needed to follow before the reading began.
The event concluded with refreshments, including snacks, sweets and drinks, as a gesture of appreciation to the children for participating. The organisers also delivered words of thanks to mark the occasion.
The anniversary celebration provided an opportunity for iDike-Lethu News to engage with young children through learning, storytelling and play, while marking 21 years of the publication.