In the Afar region, Hayat*, a mother of two, has embraced the Emergent Literacy and Math (ELM) at Home initiative to transform her household into a vibrant learning environment. Following regular visits from teachers and participating in school-based parental meetings, Hayat* began creating teaching materials from available home resources to teach her son, Ali*, letters, colors, and numbers through play. This home-based intervention has led to a remarkable transformation in Ali’s* confidence and academic skills; he is now able to identify the English alphabet, handle a pencil to write letters, and read words and phrases—changes so visible that neighbors now remark that Hayat’s* house "looks like a school."
Strong Quotes
- “My neighbors tell me that my house looks like a school since they see different teaching materials.” Hayat*, Mother
- “Ali’s* communication and confidence improved. He even started writing letters... and also started reading words and phrases.” Hayat*, Mother
- “In the future, I want to be a doctor and help patients.” Ali*, 5
How is Save the Children helping?
Save the Children (SCI), as the technical lead for the Childhood Development Activity (CDA), provides overall coordination and technical support for the ELM at Home initiative, which is funded by the LEGO Foundation. In the Afar region, SCI works with local partners APDA and AISDA to facilitate teacher home visits and parental education sessions. These sessions empower parents like Hayat* to use play-based learning and locally available materials to support their children’s holistic development and literacy outside the classroom.
Brief Context: The CDA project (2022–2027) is a five-year initiative designed to improve early childhood development across five regions in Ethiopia, including Afar. The ELM at Home approach is specifically critical in Afar to address the identified challenge of “limited community contribution” by directly engaging pastoralist families in their children's pre-primary education.
Thirty-five-year-old Hayat* sits on the floor of her home alongside her five-year-old son, Ali*, sorting through handmade cardboard letters to practice the English alphabet in the Afar region, Ethiopia. Under the Emergent Literacy and Math (ELM) at Home initiative part of the five-year Childhood Development Activity (CDA) funded by the LEGO Foundation Save the Children provides technical lead and coordination alongside local partners APDA and AISDA. The initiative empowers pastoralist parents to actively participate in their children's pre-primary education by creating engaging, play-based learning materials from everyday items available at home. "During these meetings, we discuss how to take care of our children and how to teach them through play using available materials in our home," Rahama shares. The home-based intervention has significantly boosted Ali's* learning outcomes and preparation for school. "There is a huge change in Ali*; his communication and confidence have improved. He has even started writing letters while handling a pencil and has started reading words and phrases." Anteneh Teshome / Save the Children
Interviewee’s story in their own words
Hayat*, 35, Mother
"My name is Hayat*. I have two children, and Ali* is my second child. Since this program started, there has been a lot of change in Ali*. At home, we show him different things like letters and colors through play, and his understanding and identification of letters has now improved.
Teachers visit us regularly, and we parents also hold meetings with teachers at the school. During these meetings, we discuss how to take care of our children and how to teach them through play using available materials in our home. There is a huge change in Ali; his communication and confidence have improved. He has even started writing letters while handling a pencil and has started reading words and phrases.
He communicates with his friends properly and is very happy to play and learn. He is very happy to go to his O Class every day because he is motivated by how he spends his time at school. Ali* currently identifies the English alphabet. I make different teaching materials that help Ali* learn letters, colors, and numbers with the advice of his teachers. My neighbors even tell me that my house looks like a school because they see different teaching materials everywhere."
Ali* (5)
“I like going to school and playing there. I like colors and use bricks to make shapes. I made a car with the bricks. In the future, I want to be a doctor and help patients.”
Five-year-old Ali* uses a pointer to read words and phrases from educational charts posted on the wall of his home in the Afar region, Ethiopia. Thanks to the Emergent Literacy and Math (ELM) at Home initiative part of the Childhood Development Activity (CDA) funded by the LEGO Foundation and led technically by Save the Children, Ali's* mother, Hayat*, has transformed their house into a vibrant learning space using play-based, locally available materials. Anteneh Teshome / Save the Children
Background / Project information
The LEGO Foundation Childhood Development Activity is implemented by Save the Children in partnership with seven implementing partners across five regions of Ethiopia. The Activity aims to expand opportunities for preschool-aged children (3–6+ years), particularly those affected by crisis and conflict, to access quality, play-based pre-primary education. It integrates nutrition and mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) to enhance children’s overall well-being, early learning outcomes, and developmental skills.
As part of this broader initiative, the Early Literacy and Math (ELM) at Home program is designed to strengthen early childhood development in emergency-affected settings. Led by Save the Children in collaboration with AISDA and six local partners, the initiative focuses on improving early learning and holistic development outcomes for young children across five regions of Ethiopia.
The program specifically targets 49 districts, including 28 conflict-affected areas in the northern regions of Amhara, Afar, and Tigray, and 21 drought-affected districts in Oromia and Somali regions. These contexts present significant barriers to accessing early learning opportunities, particularly for vulnerable children.
Through community-based and hands-on approaches, the initiative empowers caregivers with the knowledge, skills, and resources needed to establish safe, nurturing, and playful home learning environments. It promotes positive parenting practices alongside foundational early literacy, numeracy, and social-emotional skills, all grounded in learning through play—an evidence-based approach proven to support early childhood development.
The initiative is expected to directly reach between 200,000 and 339,800 children, with a strong emphasis on gender equity, ensuring that at least half are girls. Additionally, it amplifies its impact through educational radio programming, reaching more than 1.8 million children and caregivers nationwide to promote early learning and active caregiver engagement.
By combining direct support with scalable communication strategies, the program ensures that even the most vulnerable children in crisis-affected settings have the opportunity to learn, develop, and thrive during their most critical early years.
Thirty-five-year-old Hayat* stands proudly outside her home with an arm around her five-year-old son, Ali*, in the Afar region, Ethiopia. Hayat* is one of the many parents participating in the Emergent Literacy and Math (ELM) at Home initiative under the Childhood Development Activity (CDA). Funded by the LEGO Foundation and technically led by Save the Children in partnership with local organizations APDA and AISDA, the program equips pastoralist families with the skills to turn their households into supportive, play-based learning spaces. By attending regular school-based parental sessions and receiving guidance during teacher home visits, Hayat* has been creating handmade educational materials that have radically boosted Ali’s* confidence, communication, and pre-primary reading skills. "My neighbors even tell me that my house looks like a school because they see different teaching materials everywhere," she shares happily, as Ali* stays motivated to learn and pursue his dream of becoming a doctor. Anteneh Teshome / Save the Children
