Toys with local themes help pre-schoolers to learn
By Nicosia Smith
Stabroek News
June 18, 2004
One entrepreneur in Subryan-ville is making education for pre-schoolers and primary students easy and fun with a selection of wooden teaching aids and toys.
"I try to facilitate and enhance the learning and teaching process by providing wooden toys," says Sabine McIntosh, the owner of Play and Learn at 48 Second Avenue, Subryanville.
McIntosh, who is German, came to Guyana in 1970 through marriage to a Guyanese and has two children.
Her son, Timothy McIntosh is the managing director of Moogoodies dairy plant in New Amsterdam, Berbice and a daughter works with the Canadian International Development Agency.
McIntosh holds a Degree in Psychology from a German university and previously worked at the Ministry of Health. She also taught German at the University of Guyana for five years.
But a friend who saw some of her wooden learning materials advised her to go commercial.
McIntosh says her "love for wood...[and because] it's just fun" was her main motivation for establishing the business.
Play and Learn was registered in 1999 but began getting orders as early as 1998. The municipal day care centres gave the business its first order, worth $160,000, which was used to buy paint and some simarupa wood.
In the beginning, the business only had a scroll saw, which was used for cutting out the puzzles, a drilling machine, a circular saw, a sanding machine and a plainer.
For the colours, "you just go with the flow," declares McIntosh who adds that certain toys would need the primary colours of yellow, red, green and blue.
McIntosh states that having children and visiting many nursery schools gave her the ability to produce learning items for children but she uses a German catalogue to give her ideas.
She notes that although she does not lean on her psychology training, the discipline does give her more understanding of the education process.
To develop her drawing skills she turned to the Burrowes School of Art for lessons.
But the teacher told her not to perfect her style of drawing since "it would spoil things for the children."
Sometime in the future McIntosh hopes to engage the services of an artist but for now she is content with her efforts.
McIntosh who visits nursery schools in many regions says there is a great need for learning items which are local and durable.
Many schools normally use cardboard to make teaching aids but these cannot take rough handling.
Moreover, in the hinterland regions where teaching aids are hard to find she believes that small businesses can develop to provide this service. "The wood is there...If I can learn it, anybody can. There is a great demand ...[and] there is very little on the market," she explains.
Play and Learn's wooden learning-toys are made to depict local scenes and relate to Guyana's unique culture. McIntosh says, "I try to use local images," such as minibuses, and puzzles depicting a kite or a bottom- house scene.
She has yet to crack the export market despite sending letters to local embassies.
The products are child-friendly with smooth edges and those toys needing tacks or paste are only recommended for older children.
McIntosh also gets requests for swings and clothing compartments or desks.
At first when the business started sales were strong with orders coming from several private schools or from the Education Ministry and regional departments.
But in the last two years business has slipped and presently there are no permanent workers when once there were three. The year ending December 2000 saw sales of $900,370, in 2001 sales were over $2M. In 2002 much of the profit went towards new machinery since McIntosh thought sales would have continued to grow, but revenue declined and in 2003 the business experienced a loss.
In January 2003, McIntosh laid off her three employees and now only hires on contract.
One business decision which she says contributed to her loss was keeping her former staff on, while business was slow which brought the additional cost of having to pay the National Insurance Scheme.
The Education Ministry is Play and Learn's largest customer, while Region Two (Pomeroon/Supenaam) gives the largest regional support and Region Five (Mahaica/ Berbice) is also known for its large orders.
To increase her sales and to cut back on costs, McIntosh has downgraded items which did not have big orders and upgraded others which take less material and time to complete.
At first, the letter blocks were sold in crates but now she places them in drawstring bags and has decided to sell the crates separately. The picture dominoes are also being sold in drawstring bags.
A major cost of these products is the labour. Shapes on Pegs is sold for $3,100 with the labour carrying the most cost as is the case with the picture dominoes. Items range from $400 to $3,800.
But McIntosh will not be going to the retail market anytime soon although she does take small orders at times.