In a pastoralist community in the Afar Region, five-year-old Kedija* is experiencing a different educational start than her older siblings. Through the LEGO Foundation-funded Childhood Development Activity (CDA), Kedija’s* parents, Halima* and Kemal*, participated in house-to-house awareness sessions and monthly parental group dialogues
These sessions taught them how to transform their home into a learning environment using locally available materials like sand, sticks, and mud. As a result, Kedija* has developed strong numeracy and literacy skills, improved her social interactions, and now dreams of becoming a doctor.
Strong Quotes
- "Comparing Kedija* to my eldest son, I see a huge change. She now understands alphabets and numbers through the play-based activities we do at home." Kemal*, Father
- "Before, we had no educational materials in our home. Now, Kedija* learns by observing, touching, and playing with materials we make ourselves." Halima*, Mother
- "I like maths... and in the future, I want to be a doctor." Kedija*, 5
How is Save the Children helping?
Save the Children, as the technical lead for the CDA project, implemented the Emergent Literacy and Math (ELM) at Home initiative.
Project staff and teachers conducted house-to-house visits to provide parents with education materials like paper and pens and trained them on how to facilitate play-based learning at home.
The project also organised monthly parental group sessions to foster dialogue on child interaction and the creation of culturally relevant teaching tools from the local environment
Brief Context: The CDA project (2022–2027) aims to improve early childhood development across Ethiopia. In the Afar region, where "limited community contribution" was previously a hurdle, the ELM at Home approach is vital for engaging pastoralist families in their children's education and ensuring that learning continues outside the classroom.
Five-year-old Kedija* participates in a play-based learning session with her father, Kemal*, at their home in the Afar Region, Ethiopia. Using a hand-drawn chart featuring geometric shapes and letters alongside small toys sculpted from local clay, the family practices foundational numeracy and literacy skills. This interactive environment is the core of Save the Children's Emergent Literacy and Math (ELM) at Home initiative, under the LEGO Foundation-funded Childhood Development Activity (CDA). By training pastoralist parents to facilitate learning through play, the project successfully extends education far beyond the school walls. Anteneh Teshome / Save the Children
Interviewee’s story in their own words
Halima*, Mother
"Before this programme, there were no educational materials in our home, and we didn’t use these methods for our eldest son. But now, since the teachers educated us about creating materials from what is available around us like making letters through different objects our children learn easily through play. By observing, touching, and playing with these materials, Kedija* has improved her skills significantly.
She can now easily recognise letters, colours, and shapes like rectangles and circles. This is a result of the combination of what she learns at school and what we do at home. During our monthly parental group sessions, we have dialogues on how to teach our children and how to interact with them better. The teachers also come to our house to follow up on our progress. I now see a significant change in how Kedija* communicates with other children; she speaks about letters and colors with her friends, which has greatly increased her social interaction and motivation to learn."
Kemal* (Father)
Teachers give us awareness sessions by coming to our home and during school registration. They advise us to ask our children about their day and teach us to educate them using materials available at home. We use papers to demonstrate letters and shapes. When her mother works at home, she shows Kedija* how to differentiate items like food, colors, and household materials. This play-based activity has helped Kedija* become more communicative and confident."
Kedija* (5)
“I really like playing. I like maths most of all subjects. In the future, I want to be a doctor and help people."
Five-year-old Kedija* sits happily with her parents, Halima* and Kemal*, at their home in the Afar Region, Ethiopia. Through Save the Children’s Emergent Literacy and Math (ELM) at Home initiative under the LEGO Foundation-funded Childhood Development Activity (CDA) the family has learned to turn everyday interactions and local resources into play-based learning opportunities. By actively engaging both mothers and fathers in pastoralist communities, the project ensures that children build strong foundational skills outside the classroom. "She now understands alphabets and numbers through the play-based activities we do at home," shares her father, Hussen. 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.
