Learn To Play Impact Report 2019/2020

LEARN TO PLAY ITHUTE GO TSHAMEKA IMPACT REPORT 2019/2020

TABLE OF CONTENTS

03

04

LETTER FROM THE BOARD

LETTER FROM THE FOUNDER

05

06

OUR STORY

ABOUT LTP

08

10

OUR TIMELINE

COVID RESPONSE

12

18

OUR IMPACT

HIGHLIGHTS

20

22

FINANCIAL SUMMARY

PLAY HEROES

LETTER FROM THE BOARD 2020 brought with it a new, individualistic vocabulary.

Terms like “social distancing,” “self-isolation,” and “quarantine” peppered our everyday conversations. We limited our social interactions with others, worked from home, and abided by curfews and lockdowns. But, by being insulated, we learned the importance of community. We held group video chats with friends, we checked in on our family and neighbors, and we laughed with strangers over a shared social media post.

We were distanced, yet together. The pandemic brought us closer as a global community than probably ever before.

Indeed, despite its challenges, 2020 was a year of growth for Learn to Play. We started a new playgroup in Kacgae (Ghanzi District) and, thanks to the US Embassy in Botswana, began building a dedicated, child-centric playgroup structure in Kavimba (Chobe District). We also initiated a monitoring and evaluation framework to measure the effectiveness and impact of our program and set the bar for early childhood development in Botswana.

Alongside these developments, the term “social enterprise” entered our vocabulary. We acted on a collective desire to contribute to a greater good and strengthen our community of play. By merging REWA Little Einsteins (a private preschool in Gaborone) with Learn to Play, we could ensure a sustainable revenue stream for the continued growth and vibrancy of children around Botswana. The decision to become a social enterprise was a no-brainer for the Board.

I am optimistic that 2021 will be a year of even more exciting opportunities…and new vocabulary! Social distancing will be replaced with social solidarity…and social enterprises. I cannot wait to see the possibilities it brings.

-Karen Clune - Board Chairperson

03

LETTER FROM THE FOUNDER The year that was 2020 changed us all in different ways.

The global community came together with strength, focusing on community and compassion and never before have we witnessed the power of human connection in such a way. This reflected in our workplaces, in our homes and in our pivoting innovations as we negotiated this unchartered territory.

In response to nationwide lockdowns and playgroup restrictions, Learn To Play harnessed our experience in positive parenting and play to support caregivers and families at home. By interacting with parents directly in this way, we were able to glean a much deeper insight into the everyday struggles, challenges and successes for the families we serve. Our relationships with parents and caregivers strengthened despite all the challenges we jointly faced because we had a shared vision: the best interest for their children. Sometimes this meant play ideas and facilitating learning, other times it was simply caregiver support.

We know that parenting can be hard work even at the best of times and when we are challenged by day-to-day struggles AND a global pandemic, it can be even harder. I started Learn To Play because I wanted every child to have the same start in life as my children did; this includes how confident and competent I felt to raise my own children and that I had an entire community to support me when I needed additional encouragement.

Our team’s dedication to supporting children and families in 2020 inspires us to have a strategic focus on playful and responsive caregiving. This strengthens the confidence and competence of mothers, fathers and other primary caregivers; promoting positive caregiverchild relationships that develop children’s attachment, growth, learning and lifelong development.

We know that improving support for families that builds on local strengths, cultural wisdom and positive ECD practices will augment the meaningful impact that we have already been able to create, and we strongly believe that it takes a vibrant village to raise a child.

-Priyanka Handa Ram

04

OUR STORY “I find power in the potential to impact communities through play; there's magic when working with children in the African outdoors.

This is my Botswana, these are our people and they are my why.” – Priyanka Handa Ram In 2017, Priyanka founded Learn to Play with the vision to ensure that access to high-quality early childhood development was a right and not a luxury. At the time, Priyanka was a mother to a three-year-old and expecting a second child whilst also being the director of REWA Little Einsteins, a nursery school. However, during her travels around Botswana, she noticed the lack of early learning opportunities for children and felt the urgent need, both as an educator and a mother, to extend her reach beyond REWA to transform the lives of children.

Our mission is to provide high-impact, scalable and sustainable early childhood solutions that unlock every child’s potential through play by training mothers to be the agents for change. We took our first steps with three pilot communities that allowed us to test our model. We learned that the best way forward would be to build strong community partnerships and with that, our steps turned to strides.

Children are at the core of what we do and we aren’t all that different from them. Just like the children we serve, our most crucial years of development will be the first five. In that time, children grow, meet milestones and every now and then, stumble too. In three years, we have opened operations in four communities, fostered positive community relationships, been recognised by global organisations like HundrED and of course, had a few stumbles along the way. However, we have never stopped learning and are eager to continue deepening our impact in existing communities while expanding to new ones.

2021 marks a new chapter in our story, transitioning into a social enterprise by combining REWA Little Einsteins and Learn to Play to capitalise on our experience to effect change. By doing so, we are harnessing paid early learning to fund free early learning. We are excited to have taken this step towards scaling our impact and building a more sustainable organisation.

05

Our most rewarding moments come when we see children, parents, community leaders and mamaprenuers connecting through the power of play to create vibrant villages.

ABOUT LTP

06

VISION

A world where quality Early Childhood Development is not a luxury.

MISSION

OUR TEAM

BECOMING A SOCIAL ENTERPRISE

IMPACT ASSESSMENT

We provide high-impact, scalable and sustainable early childhood solutions for children aged 0-5 by unlocking every child's potential through play and uplifting women's economic opportunities to create vibrant villages.

In 2020 the board decided to make the transition to a nonprofit social enterprise to ensure the long-term sustainability of LTP. Combining REWA Little Einsteins (LE), a private nursery school, and LTP will allow us to adopt a model of paid early learning for free early learning where profits from REWA LE can support LTP. The transition will also allow partners, donors and stakeholders of both businesses a greater sense of assurance for the organisation's longevity while allowing LTP to benefit from the synergies between the two.

Learn to Play is a 100% Motswana owned and run company. Priyanka founded the organisation in 2017 and has since been joined full time by Maipelo Mangwegape and part time by two teachers from REWA Little Einsteins, Zanele Maotwe and Gomolemo Letsholo.

In 2020 LTP implemented the MELQO tool, led by UNESCO, the World Bank and others, to measure our impact. We are proud to have collected data for over 60 children. However, the disruptions of 2020 have drawn concerns over the reliability of this data. Nonetheless, we look forward to reporting back on our M&E results in the future. We have used qualitative feedback from our M&E interviews as well as focus group discussions, testimonials and number of children, women and communities served to consider our impact.

OUR TIMELINE

08

JAN 2019

Implementation of LTP playgroups in Bontleng and Gopong following pilots and training

FEB 2019

AUG 2019

All Mamapreneurs attend entrepreneurial and health skills workshops in Gaborone

JAN 2020

APRIL-MAY 2020 JUNE 2020

AUG 2020

Mamapreneurs from all four communities were given home visit and COVID training

Reopening playgroups following COVID inspections

Launch of LTP playgroup in Kavimba

Launch of Kacgae playgroup in partnership with Cheetah Conservation Botswana

Mobile Mentoring support and coaching for families to provide information on COVID practices and positive parenting

JULY 2020

Beginning of home visits and distribution of home playpacks across Botswana

DEC 2020

Graduation ceremonies in communities for students completing their ECD education at LTP

COVID RESPONSE

10

OUR APPROACH We sought to initiate action and become a leader in communities and globally for ECD response to the pandemic. We pivoted our model to focus on caregiver support, so they in turn could cater to the ECD needs of their children. In addition to Mobile Mentoring and Home Visits, LTP collaborated with University of Cape Town and Oxford University to translate parenting support information for use across Botswana. We also assisted our families in need by providing food and hygiene hampers. At a global level, LTP participated in a number of virtual conferences to discuss the future of ECD.

LTP Playpack contents

MOBILE MENTORING Our Mobile Mentoring program for caregivers was based on five pillars: Motivating, Guiding, Coaching, Supporting and Explaining. In a time where children could not attend playgroup, families were financially strained and understanding information was essential, we felt it necessary to take a holistic approach. LTP provided families with Playpacks containing all the resources a child needed to engage with our Rainbow Play curriculum at home and coached parents on how to facilitate their children's education. Furthermore, we provided support where possible with food and hygiene hampers if government hampers were not enough.

HOME VISITS We were determined not to lose all engagement with children due to COVID and home visits were our solution. All mamapreneurs across Botswana were brought to Gaborone after lockdown to receive training on COVID protocols and provided a Playkit to take with them on Home Visits. Mamapreneurs then visited each child enrolled in playgroup once a week until playgroups resumed. This allowed mamapreneurs to augment the work parents had been doing with children based on the Mobile Mentoring, as well as continue to engage with the children to monitor their progress.

LTP mamapreneurs at Home Visit training

OUR IMPACT

12

4

COMMUNITIES

32

MAMAPRENEURS TRAINED

454 HOUSE VISITS

126

PLAYPACKS PROVIDED

426

MOBILE MENTORING CALLS

385 CHILDREN

We are thrilled to see the impact LTP is making.

Parents, children and community leaders have all shown support and given testimony to our work. One of the challenges we have faced is accessibility of early learning. Through our mobile mentoring program, home visits and focus group discussions, we have done a significant amount of advocacy for play based learning with caregivers in order to demonstrate the need and benefits of ECD. In order to further our efforts, we will be implementing a parenting program called Go Baby Go from 2021. Poor health and nutrition also prevents access to quality learning and thus we began providing every child with a daily healthy snack at playgroup. As we grow in 2021, we will focus on increasing accessibility by deepening our impact in existing and new communities.

"Our intention was to provide a service that filled an urgent need of supporting children and families. Three years later, to see the lasting positive impact this is creating makes me so proud of our team. Their dedication, resilience and determination have led Learn To Play to become an organisation that families and communities trust and depend on."

-Priyanka Handa Ram

GOPONG

66 CHILDREN CHILDREN IMPACTED IMPACTED

110

86

MOBILE MENTORING CALLS MADE

Hidden amongst the rolling hills of Botswana's Southern District, Gopong was one of our first LTP communities.

HOUSE VISITS CONDUCTED

24

One of our priorities at LTP is to provide a safe space to play for children and we are thrilled to have fenced the playgroup area in Gopong thanks to our donors. Our mamapreneurs and children can now feel greater ownership over their space as they have their daily playgroup.

PLAYPACKS PROVIDED

11

SUPPORT GROUP FAMILIES ADDED

“I am very grateful that throughout lockdown period you have been uplifting us by giving us support and advice.”

Tumediso Lekhanenyane – Parent in Gopong

BONTLENG

66 194 CHILDREN CHILDREN IMPACTED IMPACTED

132

251 MOBILE MENTORING CALLS MADE

An urban community located in the heart of Gaborone, Bontleng brings together diverse families from across Botswana seeking brighter futures for their children.

HOUSE VISITS CONDUCTED

46

In term 3 Bontleng became the start of our effort to provide a healthy snack for each child across our communities. Every child in Bontleng now receives a fruit per day thanks to our generous Play Hero, Mr. Veg.

PLAYPACKS PROVIDED

12

SUPPORT GROUP FAMILIES ADDED

"I humbly thank you for a big job that teachers and management did on Queeneth as now she can play, sing and read upto 10.

All of that she learnt with teachers and her peers at playgroup. I hope you will continue to do well and may God abundantly bless you all. Thank you so much once again for being the stepping stone in my daughter’s development and growth. Until we meet again…"

Queen Makhura - Bontleng parent

KAVIMBA

66 CHILDREN IMPACTED

61

89

MOBILE MENTORING CALLS MADE

Located in a wildlife corridor on the banks of the Chobe river, Kavimba's children experience a unique learning environment.

HOUSE VISITS CONDUCTED

20

LTP is delighted and grateful that the Kavimba VDC has prioritized ECD in the community and granted us land to build our own playgroup centre in Kavimba. This will be the first of its kind in Botswana. The American Embassy has offered LTP a grant to build the centre.

PLAYPACKS PROVIDED

6

SUPPORT GROUP FAMILIES ADDED

"Learn To Play is very important and my greatest wish is for every single Motswana living in Botswana, and not just the community of Kavimba, to recognize the value and impact of Learn To Play when given the opportunity to have a playgroup in their community."

-Kgosi Mwezi

KACGAE

58 CHILDREN IMPACTED

151

HOUSE VISITS CONDUCTED

36

PLAYPACKS PROVIDED

Kacgae celebrates the San community's culture through a partnership with Cheetah Conservation Botswana, to create a vibrant village in the Kalahari.

Kacgae has had a difficult start with 2020 being the first year of operations. However, the community has had resounding success implementing our home visit response.

Many families do not have access to mobile technology and thus could not access our mobile mentoring and Whatsapp support group. We look forward to a full year of playgroups in 2021 where children can flourish and parents can see the power of play's impact on the children.

“I moved my child from her previous daycare centre to IGT because I like the nurturing way of IGT playgroups. I also believe the quality of education is better here.”

Ontshephile Moele - Kacgae Parent

HIGHLIGHTS

18

AFRICA PLAY CONFERENCE

TEACHER TRAINING

Learn to Play was invited to present at the inaugural Africa Play Conference, the first of its kind for the Early Childhood Development (ECD) industry. Hosted by UNICEF South Africa and the LEGO Foundation, the conference brought together 400 thought leaders, educators, researchers and policy makers from across Africa to discuss the future of ECD.

Love Support Unite (LSU) invited LTP to Malawi to train teachers on our model and Rainbow Play Approach (RPA). LSU trains early childhood educators so they in turn can provide support to children in their communities thus ensuring sustainable ECD opportunities. Eighty teachers across Malawi are now using the RPA to lay the foundation for children's brighter futures.

PRIVATE BUSINESS GROWTH AWARDS

WORLD FORUM FOR ECD

Learn To Play, as part of the REWA group, was recognised at the Grant Thornton Private Business Growth Awards (PBGA) amongst the top three local-privately owned businesses that approach growth in a strategic and holistic way, Grant Thornton began the PBGA in 2015 and have since seen the level of participation grow by 400% becoming a coveted award in the private sector.

Presenting the Rainbow Play Approach at the World Forum was an incredible opportunity for global outreach. The World Forum's mission is to promote the continuous exchange of ideas to deliver quality ECD with leaders across the globe. Since the forum, and having been a global leader for ECD with the World Forum for two years prior, Priyanka has been invited to host the virtual summit for 2021.

TEACH FOR ALL - LITTLE PEOPLE BIG IMPACT

hundrED GLOBAL COLLECTION 2021

The Teach For All conference came at a tumultuous time for everyone involved in education. Across the world, people had to find innovative ways to deliver ECD solutions. Being a panelist on the Little People Big Impact discussion afforded an opportunity to engage with ECD organisations from Mexico to India to discuss our changing landscape.

LTP was chosen amongst the 100 leading innovations and scalable solutions to education 2021. HundrED seeks to help pedagogically sound and ambitious innovations spread and adapt to multiple contexts across the world.

This network will allow LTP to capitalise on a wealth of knowledge and resources to deepen our impact and further our ambition to uplift communities through play.

PRETORIA

GABORONE

GLOBAL VIRTUAL CONFERENCE

MALAWI

MACAO

WORLDWIDE NETWORK

FINANCIAL SUMMARY 2019/2020

20

INCOME

TOTAL INCOME: P491,281.95

Merchandise and Other Revenue Generation 10.7%

Corporate Donations 43.8%

Individual Donations 45.4%

TOTAL EXPENSES: P503,123.24

EXPENSES Marketing and Fundraising 5.6% Training 14.8%

Admin Costs 36.1%

*Snack expenses began as of Sep 2020

Snacks* 0.6%

M&E 1.9%

Direct Playgroup Costs 40.9%

PLAY HEROES

22

DONORS Handa Family Sheela & Raja Ram The Daily Grind Cafe American Business Council of Botswana Ananth & Aravinda Raja Ram Deloitte Botswana Ramesh Family Basilico Restaurant Botswana Reunion CoreSphere LLC - USA Just Ginger PTY Ltd. Khan Corporate Law Rotary E-Club of Riddarfjarden - Sweden The Eve's Club LTP also thanks the numerous child sponsors and others who have donated to LTP.

DONATIONS IN KIND Acumen Property Group Angels at Work Beabond Bohua Botho University Creative Culture Dinesh Textiles Dynergy Farmer's Natural Produce Grant Thornton Botswana Impression House Ina Lebe Khan Corporate Law Kalahari Art Supplies Kalahari Honey Kavimba VDC Kevin Groth Photography Masterprint Monkeynastix Botswana Moralo Designs Mr. Veg

Muchenje Campsite and Cottages Mwandi View Safaris Northside Primary School Standard 6 REWA Sanitas Sir Ketumile Masire Foundation The Finishing Touch Visual Marketing Woolworths

PARTNERS Cheetah Conservation Botswana Elephants Without Borders Pula Sports Development World Vision - Go Baby Go

Uplifting communities through play

CONTACT US

DONATIONS

Gaborone Head Office +267 3916741 P.O. Box 1172, Gaborone priyanka@learntoplay.org

Donations can be made through our website or EFT: www.learntoplay.org Account Name: Learn To Play Account no: 62773759918 Branch no: 282267