School children from Khayelitsha are learning how to use yoga to slow down and reconnect with their inner selves – and they’re reaping the benefits!

Khayelitsha local Nokuphiwo Jada, an Earth Child Project (ECP) facilitator, carries out lesson plans and programmes in primary schools in the area.

Through years of working with ECP, she has helped to create structured lesson plans so that they fit in with the school curriculum.

According to IOL, the project operates in disadvantaged schools in Cape Town, offering educational programmes that focus on the environment, health and life skills.

Nokuphiwo Jada is the inspiring lady behind this programme

It (school) is a lot to expect of a child. To cope, they might just need a breather

“After being introduced to yoga and because of its benefits, I got inspired to introduce it to my community, with the idea of bringing it to underprivileged primary schools.”

Read more: Learning to dance had a positive impact on these pupils.

The yoga sessions have had an incredible impact, with changes in pupils’ behaviour and teachers noting that pupils are much calmer following the yoga sessions.

Jada emphasises that school is stressful and pupils have to attend lessons longer than their attention spans, absorb a huge amount of information and participate in extracurricular activities.

“It’s a lot to expect of a child. To cope, they might just need a breather,” she says.

Through these programmes, she equips children with practical life skills and knowledge of how to be healthy, confident and resilient.

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