FOSTER CHILDREN EMBRACE MUSIC AND ARTS AS A BENEFIT TO THEIR DEVELOPMENT

By Phetoho Maja

• •⁠ ⁠Some 400 school children, including some in foster care, recently joined representatives of the Gauteng Department of Social Development’s Duduza Field and Intake Unit in celebrating the benefits of participating in arts and culture extracurricular activities.
  •⁠ ⁠The children were attending a child protection event in Springs recently held to recognise the success of foster care in the province.
  •⁠ ⁠During the event, social work supervisor Lesego Mathebula explained how children develop mentally when they take part in extracurricular activities that allow them to showcase their talents, traits and skills.
• The Gauteng Department of Social Development: Duduza Field and Intake Unit, in partnership with the Institute of Mathematics SA (IMSA), recently hosted a child protection event at the Springs Civic Centre to celebrate the success of foster care and promote the benefits of arts and culture as extracurricular activities that play a positive role in childhood development.

Over 400 children from schools of specialisation across Gauteng, including foster children and parents, attended the fun-filled event, which featured sweet melodies from school choirs as well as the popular choral group, Duduza Serenade, acclaimed for its powerful performances of indigenous and choral gospel music.

Addressing the children and parents, social work supervisor Lesego Mathebula emphasised the importance of parental involvement and support in all matters involving children.

She highlighted that children develop mentally when they engage in extracurricular activities that allow them to showcase their talents, traits and skills.

“In the past two years, our office has referred over 20 foster children to the Gauteng Department of Education to be assessed by educational psychologists. These were children with delayed developmental milestones and intellectual difficulties,” she said.

“The children were unable to cope in mainstream schools and had to be placed in skills schools according to their educational needs.

“Then, in 2025, during a career day at one of the specialisation schools, it was discovered that children at these schools have different talents that might help them earn a decent living in the future,” Mathebula added.

“The office took the initiative to organise a cultural event aimed at exposing foster children and learners from different schools to music and a talent show that can help them recognise their abilities,” said Mathebula.

The benefits of extracurricular activities for children include personal growth and exploration, physical health, character and life skills development, emotional well-being and mental health, social development, as well as academic and cognitive growth.

“Children also need to realise that they can make a living from their talents and special skills.”

Mathebula further explained that the event sought to inform community members about child protection and how families can benefit from services rendered by the Gauteng Department of Social Development: Duduza Field and Intake Unit.