?A child must be able to learn from everything around him- his whole environment.? This is what Mario Nayna tries to put into practise every day. With his newly set up Educational Toys Production and Services Company Ltd, he is trying to interest small children in learning. And it seems he has been rather successful, as he now supplies more than 300 pre-primary schools with his pedagogical material and toys. Now that he has opened his showroom in Quatre-Bornes, he wants to expand his business and reach a higher number of schools?

As an artist, Mario Nayna used to draw cartoons on wooden furniture ? and particularly in pre-primary schools which often look for artists to decorate their classrooms. ?In fact, it was the director of such a school who put me on the right track when she told me that schools were lacking in pedagogical material,? he explained.

Guided by teachers

The problem is that such material is extremely expensive in European countries and many schools can?t afford to import it. Moreover, their equipment does not correspond to the syllabus used here in Mauritius. Mario however bases himself on the programme delivered by the ministry of Education to create his toys. ?I am not a pedagogue and I must let myself be guided by teachers and school directors ,? he says. The Pre-School Trust Fund is also an important partner of the former artist, as its officers help him a lot with his games and toys.

Mario creates his games according to the themes tackled by the teachers during the year. His mobiles and puzzles on hygiene, parts of the body and Easter will for instance be used during the first term while games involving recognition of fruits, animals and plants will not be tackled until the second term.

One of these games is his own original invention. There are six sets ? three in French and three in English ? each containing three to four different themes. The set contains words, images and letters for each theme. ?So the child starts with the picture and then associates it with the word and tries to reassemble the letters to create the word. It is more fun than rote learning of the alphabet,? stated this creative businessman.

Of course, the production must follow strict norms and guidelines concerning dimensions ? to ensure that children do not swallow the toys.Also the paint must not be toxic. Mario started alone seven years ago but, with the opening of his brand new company recently, he now employs about ten people in his workshop for production purposes so as to be able to meet a bigger demand. His daughter, Jordana, also started working with him three years ago and deals with the administrative side of the business so that her father can dedicate himself to the creative side.

Moreover, this small company also provides specific equipment for schools working with special needs children. ?They need specially adapted material ? and we try to help them with innovative toys that we manufacture especially for them,? explained Mario Nayna.

But since children do not learn only by using specific material but also through their direct environment, Mario Nayna has started creating furniture specially for them. Colourful and small in size, it is made to help small children feel perfectly comfortable in the classroom. Respecting security norms and special dimensions are top priorities for Mario.