/ 28 July 2008

Giving children a chance to make a difference

“Parents have just handed the problem on to the next generation. We won’t see most of the damage — our children and grandchildren will,” says Ginny Stone, author of the first South African children’s book about climate change, Sibo Makes a Difference.

A science board-game designer, she says: “I can’t stand the idea of lecturing children. I just wanted to chat in a constructive way. There’s plenty that kids can do to help all on their own.”

In the Western Cape Stone was a prominent figure in science communication circles, always busy with multiple projects involving students and teachers at the world-class iThemba particle physics accelerator on the Cape Flats, across the N1 freeway from Khayelitsha and en route to Somerset West.

She was also a familiar face at South Africa’s national science festival, SciFest, in Grahamstown during the first school term every year, where she organised and hosted the popular sold-out “Phat Physics” workshops for kids.

The move last year to Gauteng “gave me some time out to write”, says the mother of two daughters and stepmother of one son. “Having a book published, especially one that actually means something, is a dream come true.”

The Pretoria publisher of the book, Let’s Look, has embraced the project wholeheartedly – going one step further by using environmentally friendly paper and ink for printing.

Miles Jarvis of Raptor Creative said the environmentally friendly paper, sponsored by the NOR company, is free of chlorine and was harvested from a sustainable forestry programme. “The inks used are derived from soya beans,” Jarvis said.

Stone is secretary and treasurer of the 11-year-old Southern African Association of Science and Technology Centres, and is busy preparing for this year’s meeting in November at the Sci-Bono Discovery Centre in central Johannesburg.

Her book was launched at the MTN Sciencentre on July 14 at the 4×4 event, along with Anusuya Chinsamy-Turan’s book on famous African dinosaurs, veteran conservationist Betty Dwight’s illustrations and history of Rondebosch Common and, er, my book on good health for students across Africa, part of the Heinemann series 10 Things You Should Know About.

Christina Scott is Africa news editor of the Science and Development Network website
Sibo Makes a Difference is published in South Africa by Let’s Look, Pretoria. Website: www.lets-look.net