Khayelitsha, Cape Town — May 2026 - 
Sikhula Sonke Early Childhood Development will celebrate World Play Day 2026 by hosting Khayelitsha’s largest picnic for preschool children from early learning centres located across the informal settlements of the community.

The annual event will take place on the last Friday of May at OR Tambo Hall on Mew Way in Site B, bringing together hundreds of young children, teachers, caregivers, and community members for a day dedicated to play, learning, safety, and joy.

The picnic has become a cherished tradition in Khayelitsha since it was first launched by Sikhula Sonke in 2014 as part of Child Protection Week. The inaugural event welcomed 500 children together with their teachers and caregivers, creating a safe and nurturing environment where children could play freely while raising awareness about the importance of protecting children’s rights and wellbeing.

Now in its twelfth year, the annual picnic continues to grow as a symbol of community care and investment in early childhood development.

World Play Day highlights the importance of play in children’s emotional, social, physical, and cognitive development. For many children living in under-resourced communities, opportunities for safe and structured play remain limited. Through this initiative, Sikhula Sonke aims to create meaningful experiences that support healthy childhood development while strengthening partnerships between families, educators, and the broader community.
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“Every child deserves the right to feel safe, valued, protected, and free to play,” said Mdebuka Mthwazi, Executive Director of Sikhula Sonke Early Childhood Development. “The 2026 Child Protection focus reminds us that protecting children is not only about responding to harm, but about building communities where children can thrive with dignity, care, and opportunity. Through this picnic, we celebrate childhood while also calling on society to work together to create safer environments for every child in Khayelitsha.”

The event will include games, educational activities, entertainment, music, healthy meals, and opportunities for caregivers and educators to engage around child protection and early learning issues.

Sikhula Sonke invites community stakeholders, local organisations, donors, volunteers, and members of the media to join in celebrating the children of Khayelitsha and advancing the importance of play and child protection in early childhood development.

Media Enquiries
Sikhula Sonke Early Childhood Development
Khayelitsha, Cape Town
Winkie Cebisa
0737246830
[email protected]

About Sikhula Sonke Early Childhood Development
Sikhula Sonke Early Childhood Development works to support early childhood development and strengthen early learning centres in Khayelitsha, particularly within informal settlements, through community-based programmes, training, advocacy, and child-centred initiatives that promote the wellbeing, safety, and development of young children.
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www.sikhulasonke.org.za

Community dialogues were held at Site B, Harare, Enkanini, Kunqu and Taiwan. In addition, Sikhula Sonke was interviewed by a local radio station and City of Cape Town set up to provide essential services to the community. Our thanks to all those who worked hard to bring the message of Child Protection across, and especially to our partners in this work. 

First phase training of FCM, Coaching and Emthonjeni practitioners of Sikhula Sonke was conducted successfully together with other practitioners from Ikamva Labantu and Etafeni Center in Nyanga.
The training was facilitated by Music Therapy Community Clinic on Music Child processes.
More on our Facebook page here

Sikhula Sonke's AGM was held on Thursday 26 September. Evan Torrance gave an overview of what has been accomplished in the last year, and there was much thankfulness as the financial report and the operational reports confirmed how Sikhula Sonke has grown and been effective in the work that we have been called to do in this community.
Some of our lovely ladies added vibrant songs and dance to the meeting, and all present sat with feet tapping and hearts of thankfulness. A special mention of thanks to Mdebuka and Thembi who lead the work at Sikhula Sonke, the board who support them, and our donors in 2012-2013 who, through their generosity, made it possible to do the work that we do, and to grow our team of ECD workers to reach out to more children who otherwise would not have the opportunity of preschool education.

As we are closing the women’s month, all the guys at Sikhula Sonke would like to say: "It was great serving you at office, outreach programs and also in Women’s month events/ celebrations. We would like to acknowledge you. You are the pillar of this country, Wathint’abafazi wathint’imbokodo. We salute you for all your everyday hard work including bearing and raising a healthy nation of South Africans. It’s making us proud to work within this children’s environment and makes us understand how to become caring and responsible fathers."

Families showed joy and appreciation after their cluster workshop when they were given food parcels containing basic foodstuffs for their families. Each parcel had a tin of fish, bottle of cooking oil, 2 kg samp, 2 kg rice, beans, 1 kg mealy-meal, soup and salt. Children were also excited to have dinner after their playgroup and that their parents were getting some foodstuffs to take home.

What a milestone and story! We are thrilled to report back to you and give thanks for the generosity of the funds donated by our donors (including FNB) towards the Emthonjeni Programme.
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