This is not something I would usually post about, I am all about cars after all. But I am also now a parent. And every now and then, something comes along that is close to my heart and I feel I need to share it with you.  

After Luca came home and the parenting role really kicked in, there was one thing I said to my husband over and over, “I don’t know how anyone does this on their own!” The other thing I have said so often is, “I don’t know how parents did this in lockdown.” We were fortunate enough to not be in any hard lockdown by the time Luca arrived home, but we still got to experience a taste of what it could be like. It is for this reason that I love this Pampers campaign.  

In celebration of National Children’s Day South Africa, Pampers is celebrating single parents who had to navigate lockdown parenting with little to no support. 40% of parents in this country are doing it on their own! And although parenting in any shape or form is difficult, if you have a partner or some form of support, you can count your lucky stars, because doing this job alone must be the hardest thing in the world. And even those single parents with incredible support systems and child care facilities would have had to navigate lockdown truly alone. And that I think deserves recognition.  

The campaign called #MamaUyindlovu, highlights the unique struggles and triumphs of renowned singer, Busisiwe “Cici” Thwala as she experienced first time motherhood during the COVID-19 related lockdowns. It also recognizes how she left no stone unturned to ensure her baby was safe and thriving developmentally during the height of the pandemic, despite the isolation.  

“My son Dialo is just over a year old, so he spent most of the first year of his life in lockdown. I was worried at first that he was missing out on crucial social contact with others. But I realised that I had an opportunity to do things differently and that’s when I decided to create special moments where we would explore and learn about the world in our home in creative ways.” said Cici. 

Committed to making a meaningful difference and stepping up as a #ForceforGood, Pampers has pledged to donate towards early childhood learning scholarships by partnering up with SmartStart. SmartStart is an early learning social franchise that boasts over 6000 sites across South Africa. This is part of Pampers’ efforts to support the happy and healthy development of little ones as they continue their journey of discovery in our post-lockdown world. 

“Early learning is critical for a child’s future success. Yet many children from disadvantaged communities cannot access quality early learning due to economic barriers. We’re excited to be partnering with Pampers to grow access to our quality early learning programmes through early learning scholarships. We believe this kind of support is essential to parents during these times.” said Samantha Maasdorp, Network Strategist Lead at SmartStart. 

So, every time you buy a Pampers product, you will be helping support this incredible partnership. Basically, this means that just one Pampers purchase equates to one life changing donation. And I am all for it! 

So here’s to the single parents out there, you are incredible! You are seen. And I salute you.