In Botswana, 93% of children under the age of 5 do not have access to Early Learning & fail to reach their potential in cognitive development. Poverty, poor health and nutrition, as well as the lack of early stimulation holds these children back. In 2017, Priyanka founded Learn To Play with the vision to ensure that access to high-quality early childhood education was a right and not a luxury.
LTP has a two-generational approach to early childhood education through its playgroups and Parent Playbox.
We have five simple steps to opening community based playgroups:
1) Community consultations determine ECE challenges & context.
2) Village Development Committee identified a community location for playgroups
3) Village leadership nominates 10 Maatla Mamas and LTP selects 3 for two weeks of ECE training.
4) Playgroups open and are operated daily by Maatla Mamas
5) LTP virtualy supports Maatla Mamas, conducts site visits and annual impact assessments
The Parent Playbox provides caregivers with the knowledge and confidence on how to purposefully interact with their children, through 52 activities and resources combined with training on how to use them for a year long home-based early learning program. The Parent Playbox prioritises improved ECE outcomes and family wellbeing through access to playful parenting delivering improved social outcomes for caregiver and child.
LTP works in 11 communities with 550 children and 35 Maatla Mamas daily. To achieve universal access to ECE in Botswana, we now work with two local governments to create champion districts with universal access to ECE. Recognising that the scalability of our innovation lies in our training and curriculum, these champion districts will serve as the case study for how we can leverage the LTP training and curriculum to improve quality and increase access across the country in conjunction with our Parent Playbox. We know that partnerships are key to creating meaningful change in Africa so we have delivered educator training and the Parent Playbox to ECD organisations across the continent impacting 150 educators working with over 10,000 children and 270 playboxes reaching 800 family members.
For organisations who seek to strengthen their play-based programming, particularly in social & emotional development and mindful play, or have a guided approach to a home-based parenting program that improves caregiver confidence for improved parent and child outcomes, Learn To Play offers training and a parenting solution for you. Contact us at priyanka@learntoplay.org to discuss your needs.