We received a wonderful report from Play on Wheels, describing the recent progress we have contributed to. We have supported within three areas in 2019:1. Health and Well-being2. Staff training3. Facilitated into school
1. Health and Well-being report backOne of the greatest improvements in our health and wellbeing care has been the implementation of a formal positioning programme just over two years ago, which has been formally monitored since the start of 2019. This programme has been made possible with the equipment bought with Gustav funding. To the end of September 2019 eleven children have spent a total of 180,5 hours in a positioning device that is beneficial to their health and development as required by their Individual Programmes. All of these have gained functional ability in 2019.
2. Staff training
With the funding provided in 2019, we decided to send two caregivers on a six month accredited course that adapts Home Based Care to work specifically with children with special needs. I am happy to announce that both Thobeka Mzamane and Busisiwe Luhabe achieved an overall average of more than 90%, and we had the priviledge of attending their graduation ceremony on the 29^th of October. In South Africa, the cycle of poverty is such that many African adults from a poor background faced the reality of indifferent education and leaving school before completing their basic training, which has impacted on the number of skilled people ready for the open labour market. With the economic decline South Africa has experienced, this has meant that even people who are employed have to live in unsafe areas, using unsafe transport services and being exposed to the many social problems that exist in these communities. This course has not only meant providing the opportunity gain a recognised qualification, but also encouraged them to further their school careers. One of the two has indicated that she will be attending college next year to study Maths literacy and gain her matric endorsement, which will allow her to study for a degree.3. Facilitated into school
At the beginning of 2019, Play on Wheels successfully assisted a child’s family in placing her into a school! Part of the reason for her acceptance was that having our dedicated toileting area allowed Play on Wheels to toilet train her, as she would not be accepted into a Special School without toilet training.

While check ins and follow up were done, it was discovered that her family was not happy with her school placement, as where before she was always excited to wait for the Play on Wheels bus, she would start crying when the new school transport picked her up. There was also an incident at school where our girl fell and sustained minor injuries to her face. Her mother and aunt have looked for and placed her on a waiting list at another Special School. This highlights the road that Project Playground walked with this family. Mom was never involved, through a combination of being irresponsible and facing the uncounselled trauma of not only having a child born with special needs, but almost losing her due to an underlying heart condition in her first year of life. Not only did the social worker facilitate involvement from her mom, but her mom has taken her parenting responsibility to outside the ordinary for the average South African parent in a similar situation. Where most parents would either remove their child with special needs and keep them at home or continue with unsatisfactory education, this family has decided that no, they are not happy with the service at the school, and yes, their child with special needs deserves more than just sitting at home or being satisfied with second best.THANK YOU Project Playground and Play on Wheels for all you do to make this world a better place. We love being part of this journey!