"Turning Waste into Play: The Power of Collaborative Partnerships"

In this engaging episode of "Do More Podcast," hosts Iris and Marietjie from CHEP delve into the fascinating world of turning waste into purposeful projects. They kick off with a playful check-in question about inventing something to make life happier, setting the tone for a lively discussion.

Marietjie introduces the partnership between CHEP and Do More, highlighting their innovative project, "Do More Play," which transforms wood waste into toys for early childhood development centers, crafted by differently-abled individuals. The conversation dives into the lessons learned from such strategic partnerships, emphasizing the immense value of collaboration in driving impactful change.

They explore how such initiatives inspire and engage employees internally, tying the company's values to real-world impact and sustainability through circular economy principles.

Looking to the future, Marietjie envisions exponential growth for these projects, showcasing their proven success and potential for broader implementation. She challenges other businesses with excess inventory to find value in their waste, echoing the transformative journey they've experienced.

The episode concludes with heartfelt gratitude for the partnership and a humorous exchange about inventing transportation devices, highlighting the genuine camaraderie and shared vision driving their collaborative efforts. Overall, it's a celebration of partnerships that drive positive change, one toy car at a time.

In this episode of the Do More podcast, Dr. Jessica Ronassen (Dr. JR) hosts Jabu Mthembu-Dlamini (JM) as they delve into the intricacies of community engagement, focusing particularly on working with traditional authorities and government bodies. Dr. JR kicks off the discussion with a playful question about traditional outfits, setting the tone for an engaging conversation.

Jabu explains the crucial role of traditional authorities as key stakeholders in community development, emphasizing the need for their approval and involvement in any initiatives within their communities. They discuss the Do More Foundation's approach to deep dive work, emphasizing partnerships and the formation of steering committees to ensure long-lasting impact.

The conversation explores the benefits of community engagement, highlighting how it fosters sustainability and ownership among community members. Jabu shares insights into the challenges faced in community development work, including the complexity of stakeholder alignment and the need for commitment and patience.

A significant portion of the episode focuses on the success stories and lessons learned from working with government entities. Jabu emphasizes the importance of approaching government partnerships with the right attitude and mindset, focusing on collaboration rather than criticism.

Dr. JR and Jabu conclude the episode by emphasizing the inclusivity of community engagement and the power of meaningful partnerships in driving positive change. They share anecdotes and insights into local government successes in prioritizing early childhood development, showcasing the impact of empowered communities and effective advocacy efforts.

The episode wraps up with a playful reveal of Jabu's perspective on traditional outfits, symbolizing the vibrancy and joy inherent in community engagement and development work.

In this episode Dr Jessica Ronaasen engages with Tshepo Mantjé, the Right to ECD Coordinator from the Equality Collective, to discuss advocacy efforts in the realm of early childhood development (ECD). Tshepo outlines the mission of the Real Reform for ECD movement, which aims to ensure comprehensive, well-funded, inclusive, and high-quality ECD services in South Africa. The focus of their conversation centres on the recent national advocacy campaign concerning the right to nutrition for children in ECD centres.

Tshepo elucidates the challenges faced by ECD practitioners in providing adequate nutrition due to limited resources, despite government subsidies. The campaign, driven by evidence-based research, seeks to address this issue by advocating for increased support from the state and exploring creative solutions within communities, such as community vegetable gardens and partnerships with grocery stores.

The discussion also touches upon the shift in custodianship of ECD centres to the Department of Basic Education, signalling an opportunity for national-level advocacy. Tshepo emphasizes the importance of collaboration and community involvement in advocacy efforts, inviting listeners to join the cause through various campaigns and initiatives outlined on the Real Reform for ECD website.

Throughout the episode, Jess and Tshepo inject a sense of playfulness, incorporating light-hearted check-ins and even pondering signature dance moves. Despite the serious subject matter, the conversation maintains an engaging and accessible tone, encouraging listeners to take action and make a difference in the lives of children in South Africa's ECD sector.

Following their respective panel discussions at last year’s UN COP28 in Dubai, Warren Farrer sits down with Nicole Biondi to discuss how early childhood development intersects with climate change. And how placing the young child at the centre of climate change policies, plans and programs can build communities that are resilient and adaptable to the impacts of global warming.

Some of the topics they cover are:

· Misconceptions about climate change.

· Showcasing The Do More Foundation's unique parenting programme at COP28.

· The need to focus on young children when developing climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies.

· The SA Early Childhood Climate Action Alliance and The Do More Foundation's plan to honour indigenous climate resilience knowledge and practices

Nicole describes herself as a ‘professional dot connector’, a skill she brings to her work as the Foundation’s consultant on climate change, strategic communications, and advocacy. She is the Vice-Chairperson at Capita, a US-based global think tank that the DO MORE FOUNDATION is partnering with on climate change work.

Working in the community development space is complex… we can’t do it by ourselves.

In this episode, we hear from the DO MORE FOUNDATION’s Partnership and Enterprise Development Lead, Iris Naidoo, and CEO of Niya Consulting, Thandeka Zulu, about why ‘making the circle bigger’ is so important for sustainable community development.

Both Iris and Thandeka dedicate themselves to nurturing strong connections with organisations that resonate with our shared vision. They possess a profound understanding of the significant impact and enduring benefits that robust partnerships bring to community development in South Africa.

In this episode, we lay out the DO MORE FOUNDATION’s theory of change. CEO Warren Farrer takes up the interviewer seat to ask Dr Jessica Ronaasen (National Programmes Lead) to explain how the Foundation works towards its mission of ‘creating better futures for the young children of South Africa through partnerships’.

A theory of change is like a puzzle. You know what you want the end result to be. Part of the fun is in figuring out how all the different pieces come together to get there. The other is sharing the journey with those that have the same goal.

The Foundation’s theory of change is inspired by the J.W. McConnell Family Foundation case study and centres on Scaling Deep in communities, Scaling Up through advocacy, and Scaling Out through national programmes.

We dedicate our pilot episode to the DO MORE FOUNDATION’s origin story. As Dr Jessica Ronassen finds out during her interview with the Foundation’s CEO, Warren Farrer, it’s not a simple one. In fact, it’s a bit of a ‘chicken or egg’ situation.

Warren tells us all about the six-year journey the Foundation has taken to get to where it is today and the pivotal role that RCL FOODS has played in setting us up for success.