Global Competition: LEGO brand’s 90th year

from Working Mama April 2022

Cover Story: Finding out my Child is Deaf

Global Competition launched in the LEGO brand's 90th year!

by Lee- Yandra Paulsen

Denmark, Billund, February 2022LEGO has announced a USD 143 million global challenge to fund innovative early childhood solutions. It will address what Anna- Birgitte Albrectsen, CEO of The LEGO Foundation, calls a "global early childhood emergency." Characterized by a lack of access to education, health care, and other basic needs, exacerbated by the global pandemic. A new initiative launched by The LEGO Foundation called the 'Build A World of Play Challenge' will allow any organization that can positively impact the youngest children around the world to bid for a share of the USD 143 million grant. The amount is equivalent to 900 million Danish Kroner, reaffirming the LEGO Foundation’s commitment in the LEGO® brand’s 90th year to ensure children globally are allowed opportunities to learn through play. It will support their early learning and the development of holistic skills, ensuring children everywhere thrive and reach their full potential in life. “All children have the right to feel safe and access quality education and healthcare. But to date, early childhood development has been not just under-recognized, but grossly underfunded” said Thomas Kirk Kristiansen, Chair of the Board of Directors at The LEGO Foundation, and the fourth generation of the LEGO owner family. Grants will be awarded to those researching evidence-based innovative solutions to today's most pressing issues, including access to high-quality early childhood education and care, adequate nutrition, the elimination of toxic stress in homes and communities, the reduction of violence in homes and communities, pollution prevention, and supporting the social and emotional well-being of the entire family. The solutions should make a significant difference in the lives of children aged 0 to 6 years old and create a global movement to prioritize early childhood development. In the 90th year of the LEGO® brand, LEGO®is investing more money in early childhood development than ever before. 167 million children in 196 countries lost access to early childhood care and education between March 2020 and February 2021. Pre-primary students, who account for 120 million children, were the least likely to have access to remote learning. Between 2018 and 2020, an average of 290,000 to 340,000 children were born refugees each year, resulting in roughly a million children being born as refugees. CEO of LEGO Foundation Anne-Birgitte Al-

brectsen said: "Through the Build A World of Play Challenge, we want to join forces with others to urgently address the biggest challenges societies globally face, with creative, actionable ideas that put children at the center of global decision making.” The five winning organizations will receive a total grant of USD 143 million- Three grants totaling approximately USD 30 million and two grants totaling approximately USD 15 million. Each finalist will be given a one-million-dollar grant to strengthen their strategies, create a team, and develop the skills necessary to implement their innovations. Potential applicants must register by April 7, 2022. The deadline for submissions is May 17, 2022.

All entrants will need to complete an online application via https://learningthroughplay. com/build-a-world-of-play/the-challenge. Factors that will determine the winners include among other things, how impactful, feasible, community-centered, and sustainable their applications are. More details on the 'Build A World of Play Challenge' can be found at https://learningthroughplay.com/ build-a-world-of-play/the-challenge.

It’s hard work, but it’s worth it

Angela Martin

Ultimately, I want to own a coffee shop where walking into it takes me anywhere I wish to be. I resigned from my job at the end of January 2020, and it took just a few months for me to realize that I was not going to be able to sit still. My little family and I made a few changes.- We sold our property, moved back to my childhood home, and began my entrepreneurial journey. It started with R50 and an old t-shirt in my cupboard- re-inventing thrifted items and reselling them. I built up enough to start buying new t-shirts, and because I was a wife, a mom, and now a boss (duh), I had it printed on a t-shirt and the wife. mom.boss empire was born.- At first, I sold t-shirts at R150 per item, and I thought I could use this to motivate and uplift small business moms like myself to keep going. I started a movement @wife.mom.boss_empire to empower [wives] moms and bosses. When they supported me, I did marketing for them and their services on my Instagram / Facebook profiles. This business concept took off, and the business did well. I’ve met some super amazing women and men in business.- Genuine people; all trying to build a business. During this time, I had registered a business with a long-time friend where we focused on her dream of helping others through essential oils and making products that were affordable to the wider community. As I learned more about the company we were advocates for and as I learned more about our oils and the many benefits, I saw my own business grow. Shortly after we registered the business I decided to split from the business and run at my own pace and so I started my own business in essential oils offering mainly Pain Relief solutions to family/friends at a reasonable cost. You can read about my story in the previous issue | article titled Pain? AngOils can help. This concept grew, and I acquired more products to assist in pain management, and now I have a small but significant business in my community.

I thought I would share my experience as a mom trying to become an entrepreneur in support of my empowerment mission.

In recent months I have met some amazing people - Daniel @slimlinemedia is amazing with product photography and is so knowledgeable in the industry; Natasha at @babydaxcraftingmemories who was key in getting my t-shirt business going; more recently Marlene @Let’sRelax Beauty Salon and Anuschka @ExhaleWellness who are using my pain blends to assist their clients in managing their pain; I have met so many more amazing influencers that I can’t list them. In conclusion. Believe that where there is a will there’s a way, you CAN do it, and most importantly - You NEED to surround yourself with like-minded individuals to succeed!

https://angoils.co.za @AngOils WhatsApp 072 746 7832