Do More Foundation Highlights Climate Resilience as Essential for Children’s Growth This Mandela Month

Nicole Biondi is an independent consultant focused on ECD and climate resilience for the Do More Foundation.

Those mornings of garden play may be behind me now, but the feeling they gave me – that nature is something we belong to, something we care for, and something that cares for us – has never left me.

As we approach this Mandela Day, I’m thinking about how all young children should be able to build that same connection with nature, to play, explore, and thrive in environments that are safe, nurturing, and resilient, even as the climate around them continues to change.

Climate change borne by children

At the Do More Foundation, we’ve come to see climate change not as a separate issue, but as the very context in which all of us live. If we want young children in under-resourced communities to thrive, we can’t ignore what’s happening in their environments – indoors and out.

Extreme heat. Unpredictable floods. Unsafe drinking water. These aren’t distant threats. They’re happening now, and they’re hitting the most vulnerable children the hardest.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that nearly 90% of the disease burden from climate change is borne by children under five.

And in South Africa, with rising temperatures, water scarcity, and chronic food insecurity, the risks are multiplying for children in the critical 0–6 age range, when their brains, bodies, and immune systems are rapidly developing.

When a child’s early childhood development (ECD) centre lacks shade, ventilation, or access to clean water, it’s not just a health issue, but a barrier to learning, to development, and dignity.

Climate change is quite literally reshaping where and how our children grow up.

Making ECD centres climate-resilient

That’s why this Mandela Day, the Do More Foundation is inviting South Africans to come together and help make ECD centres across the country more climate-resilient.

From planting drought-resistant trees to installing water harvesting kits and creating shaded play areas, we’re focused on practical, tangible ways to keep children safe, supported, and thriving, even in the face of climate disruption.

One of the things I’m most excited about is the Climate Play Packs – tactile, beautifully illustrated games made from recycled materials that teach young children about weather, seasons, and how to care for the natural world through play.

Each one costs just R67, and we’re aiming to get these packs into more than 1,000 ECD centres this year.

Why play? Because play is how children learn to be in the world.

When we give them the tools to explore and imagine, we’re not just teaching them about clouds and sunshine; we’re helping them build the kind of resilience and curiosity that will serve them for a lifetime.

And when we embed that play in nature, we deepen their connection to the world we’re all trying to protect.

We’re inviting businesses of all sizes to get involved:

1. Sponsor a climate resilience item: We’ve created a menu of 12 items you can sponsor – from a Climate Play Pack for R67, to a water harvesting kit for R5,000, or even a full climate resilience upgrade for an ECD centre at R20,000.
2. Donate any amount: If you’d prefer to make a general donation, you can give whatever amount you like to support our broader climate resilience work in ECD centres.

Already, thanks to early donations, we’re able to provide 20 centres with a full climate resilience upgrade.

Each upgrade includes practical improvements like safe, shaded play areas, drought-resistant trees, water harvesting systems, solar-powered fans and lights, and climate education for practitioners and children.

With more support, we could reach hundreds through this year’s Mandela Day campaign, and long after.

Mandela Day is a reminder of what’s possible when people come together for something bigger than themselves.

If we act now, thoughtfully and collectively, we can help build a future where even the most under-resourced ECD centres are places of joy, learning, and resilience.

Places where children can play safely, breathe healthy air, drink clean water, and grow up in touch with the natural world.