As a non-profit early childhood development organisation, Cotlands is focused on addressing the education and social crisis by establishing early learning playgroups and toy libraries in poor communities.
The ‘Donate your birthday’ campaign focuses on the foundational years in a child’s life by affording individuals, corporates and social or charitable clubs the opportunity to raise funds for Cotlands’ early childhood development (ECD) programmes in a fun yet meaningful way.
Cotlands pro-bono agency Lesoba Difference devised a way for people to donate their birthdays to Cotlands by simply visiting cotlands.org and signing up as a birthday donor or donating on behalf of someone else’s special day. This initiative provides a great way for family and friends to contribute to creating a better start and brighter future for the children involved in Cotlands ECD programmes.
This campaign is based online and uses the Cotlands website to house a unique campaign page where donors can register and create a mini-profile. They can then rally their friends and family to click on this profile and donate whatever amount they choose. Whether it’s R50 or R500, it’s a gift from the heart that will go a long way in helping Cotlands cement a firmer future for these children.
Singer/songwriter Connell Cruise has already pledged his birthday, on 15 May, and Cotlands couldn’t be more excited to have him on board. “I’m very proud to be a part of this campaign. The only thing I regret is that I didn’t come up with it myself,” Cruise says.
“I used to study psychology at Wits and one of my majors was childhood development and since those early days I’ve always been fascinated with how important the first six years of life are. That’s why I’ve followed Cotlands so closely. I love the fact that Cotlands has these programmes, and are helping children who have been abandoned by the world and who now have a chance to make a meaningful contribution,” he says.
Cotlands’ national communications manager Lois Moodley weighs in on the importance of having someone like Connell on board; “We are thrilled to launch our ‘Donate your birthday’ campaign with Connell Cruise. This is an exciting campaign that will not only help us raise funds for early learning programmes but also raise awareness of the importance of play in early childhood development.”
She continues; “Connell really gets it. He understands the work we do and the importance of early childhood development. We are grateful to him for choosing to celebrate his special day with us and hope that he will inspire many others to donate their birthdays as well.”
This campaign is one that speaks to all South Africans, and Cruise agrees with this sentiment. “I come from a really big Spanish family and my birthday has always been family-based, it’s a massive thing. And what I love about the campaign is that everyone can get involved. It’s me saying ‘everyone can contribute’, almost like my birthday at home.”
Other famous faces donating their birthdays to Cotlands this year include rapper Miza as well as FHM model and businesswoman Shashi Naidoo.
To donate your birthday or for more information visit www.cotlands.org. Alternatively connect with them on Facebook or Twitter.