How are the children?

The traditional greeting of one Masai tribe member to another is “Kasserian ingera”. It means “How are the children?” This is because the Masai acknowledge that when children are doing well, the wider community is thriving.

I stand in support of children and their basic human right to agency, self-expression and the freedom to play. I have an unwavering focus and dedication to this cause and I measure all areas of society through this lens. Communities and wider society are at their best when their children are at the centre of their focus and decision-making.

Play is not frivolous, it is the process by which young children learn to make sense of the world around them. It's essential to healthy development and contributes positively to children's physical, cognitive, social and emotional well-being. Over hundreds of thousands of years, humans have evolved to learn through playful behaviour.

Today, children’s opportunities for play are in decline. Too often their time is parsed away into academic and extra-curricula activities. Not enough time is left for them to just be. To do what they do best, to play, learn and explore.

If we are collectively committed to creating a healthier society and a sustainable future for all, we need to accommodate space, time and permission we do to allow children the opportunity and freedom to play.

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