Learn To Play Annual Report 2021

LEARN TO PLAY ITHUTE GO TSHAMEKA

IMPACT REPORT 2021

LETTER FROM THE BOARD One of my most powerful moments of 2021 was when I attended the graduation of the four Dukwi mamapreneurs.

Dukwi is a small refugee camp (by global standards) in northern Botswana and home to those fleeing many sub-Saharan countries, including Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi, and Somalia. With support from the U.S. Government’s Julia Taft Fund, we launched a playgroup there to fulfill the critical gap in early childhood development.

In talking with the women, the number of times I heard the word “refugee” as an identity label made my heart ache.

Nationalities seemed to be in past tense. These women did not openly refer to themselves mothers, sisters, wives, or daughters.

They barely used their own given names.

“I am a refugee.”

They shared their heartbreaking stories of fear and despair, of feeling the loss of freedom and family. They worried about their children’s future and what opportunities they would have. As a refugee. Always a refugee.

But, that evening, they celebrated two weeks of daily training in early brain development, nutrition, health and wellness, mindfulness and our Rainbow Play Approach along with other vocational skills and topics. There was a glimmer of hope. I saw them stand straighter and taller. They touched their new aprons with pride. They were now Learn to Play mamapreneurs. It was an identity they truly earned and owned.

“I am a mamapreneur.”

While we may have started the playgroup to fulfill a gap in early childhood development, I now believe we are fulfilling so much more. As Priyanka states in her letter, 2021 has been a year of growth, specifically in resilience, compassion and strength. Our newest playgroup in Dukwi is a prime example of this, but certainly not the only one. We remain grateful to all of our donors and play heroes for supporting our growth and helping transform the lives of women, children, and communities to build a brighter Botswana.

Karen Clune - Board Chairperson

LETTER FROM THE FOUNDER There’s never a dull day at Learn to Play, 365 days of sunshine and play.

2021 was a year of growth, energy and optimism.

One of the most important learnings from the pandemic is we can no longer deny how entangled our family lives are with our livelihoods and careers. Parents cannot work if our children do not have a nurturing and stimulating place to be.

This propelled our direction in 2021: We further invested in parental engagement through solutions such as Gola Nnana Gola, a parenting programme which included group sessions and home visits; We worked with the government of Botswana to have legislation that guides the safe operation of informal community playgroups; We advocated for the importance of high-quality early childhood programmes to allow more women to enter and stay in the workforce.

This work did not go unnoticed.

Learn To Play was recognised for a second consecutive year by HundrED, a global education organisation celebrating innovations that are actively improving children’s lives, while World Education Week featured Learn To Play as one of 20 global organisations, showcasing our expertise in community impact and engagement.

Combined with a new curriculum focused on Mindful Play, and expanding our work into a refugee camp catalysed our growth resulting in further partnerships and opportunities that will see Learn To Play scale up tremendously in the next 18 months.

We’re humbled that for many families we work with, we were able to transform their despair into dignity, their fear to joy. We prioritised hand-ups not hand-outs and turned our worry to wonder with a solution-focused approach. With the same playful curiosity of the children we serve, we carry this wonder and optimism forward into the rest of 2022.

Nelson Mandela says, “part of being optimistic is keeping one’s head pointed towards the sun, one's feet moving forward,” and if there’s one thing we have plenty of in beautiful Botswana, it’s enough sunshine to give us the momentum for progress.

Priyanka Handa Ram - Founder & Director

ABOUT LTP

OUR VISION

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

OUR MODEL

LTP acts in a systems change model to actively demonstrate the value of ECD in a societies where it’s not yet seen as a necessity.

We have two direct solutions to addressing ECD. The first is the Rainbow Play Approach, a unique framework for holistic ECD, which is delivered through playgroups for children aged 2-5. The second is a positive parenting program which is delivered through our Go Baby Go (GBG) program which addresses key parenting issues such as mental health, safety, wellbeing and protecting children from violence and harm for parents of children ages 0-5.

LTP is also scaling its impact and creating sustainable cycles of change by delivering training, curriculum and the playgroup model to partner organisations who can empower educators and caregivers to provide high-impact and low resource based stimulation for young children.

OUR MISSION

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

OUR STORY

Founded in 2017, LTP is a Botswana based social impact business, that harnesses paid early learning to fund free early learning. We have a revenue generation & donation based model for greater impact and sustainabiliity, Since 2017, we've opened operations in 5 communities, fostered positive community relationships and been recognised by global organisations like HundrED. Our most rewarding moments though, come when we see children, parents, community leaders and mamaprenuers connecting through the power of play to build a brighter Botswana.

In 2021 our board took an incredible step towards creating sustainable cycles of early childhood education by merging private preschool Little Einsteins with Learn To Play to harness paid early learning to fund free early learning.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

MEET THE DRIVING FORCE BEHIND LEARN TO PLAY Learn To Play has a diverse and robust board of powerful playmakers. Each of the seven women are leaders in their respective fields lending their unique expertise to inform our strategy and decisions from all perspectives of our internal and external environment. Together, the board provides insights from the public health, public relations, legal, governance and early childhood education industries.

From left to right: Taazima Kala-Essack, Evgeniya Troanska, Priyanka Handa Ram, Matshediso Kgamane, Karen Clune, Loungo Tibone, Lauren Mistry

OUR TEAM

MEET THE TEAM PRIYANKA HANDA RAM

EASHWAR RAMESH

FOUNDER & CHIEF ENERGY OFFICER

CHIEF OPPORTUNITIES OFFICER

PRATISHA NARULA

MAIPELO MOTSEMME

HEAD OF CURRICULUM & PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT

COMMUNITY OUTREACH & IMPACT COORDINATOR

GOMOLEMO LETSHOLO

ZANELE MAOTWE

COMMUNITY FACILITATOR

COMMUNITY FACILITATOR

NAYANTARA VIJAY

RONELDA VAN'T HOF

SOCIAL MEDIA CURATOR

MARKETING COORDINATOR

STORIES FROM OUR PLAYGROUND

OUR MAMAS

DIANE DUKWI

MATSHIDISO GOPONG

ANNAH BONTLENG

"Before LTP, I made a living by selling masks.

LTP gave me hope. It has improved my life and the livelihood of my family. I feel proud to be part of LTP and to help the children in my community by teaching them their worth."

GLADNESS KAVIMBA

"LTP provided me with an opportunity after being retrenched from my previous job. I was unable to provide for my family.

Now I have stability and I continue to learn through LTP. I enjoy teaching the children and helping them socially."

"Being a mama has changed my life. Not only has it given me financial security but it also helps me fulfil my purpose. I am now able to have an insurance policy that I can pay every month without hesitation. It makes me proud to help the children and to keep them off the streets and depots. I love interacting with them on a daily basis and helping them overcome difficulties. It is very rewarding. I hope I can become certified in Early Childhood Education one day. It has always been my dream!"

"LTP has improved my quality of life. Having just had a baby, I was anxious about how I would take care of my family. I love teaching children how to interact with others, be respectful and build resilience. Sometimes the children come from dire situations. It is rewarding to play with them and teach them."

VERIPHI KACGAE

"I love my job at LTP. It has taught me many valuable lessons that I can teach both at home and in my community. It makes me happy and proud to help the children develop and prepare for primary school. I see myself being at LTP for a very long time. Making history and raising awareness!"

OUR FAMILIES

"My daughter has grown from timid and shy, to a confident young girl. I have seen changes in her that I never knew were possible. Before Learn to Play she was just sitting at home. Now she is learning and growing and bringing home lots of crafts. I always tell other parents about LTP and advised my neighbor to enroll her child as well. I am very grateful that my daughter gets to go to this playgroup."

BONTLENG

"Prior to my child starting playgroup, she was just at home watching tv. Now she wants to become a nurse. She enjoys going to the playgroup and loves the alphabet and learning about different seasons. She has shown a lot of improvement. I can highly recommend parents to send their kids to playgroup.

It is important for them to get educated from a young age."

DUKWI

KAVIMBA

"I always encourage parents to send their kids to the Learn to Play playgroup. There are some skills that can only be learned at school, like social skills. I have seen a great improvement in my own child. Her vocabulary has increased so much, she is more confident and she is able to take instructions really well. She wants to become a soldier when she grows up. I am grateful for this playgroup and excited to see my daughter grow and learn more."

OUR PARTNERS AND COMMUNITY LEADERS We witness the positive impact that the playgroup has on a daily. It motivates the children to get used to going to school everyday, thus lessening absenteeism at Primary School level, and builds confidence in children.

LTP benefits the vulnerable communities as it is free and accessible to those that have no other access to early childhood education."

Monica - Gopong Nurse

"LTP empowers the child and the mamas.

Before LTP the children had no access to early childhood education. It is amazing to witness the ripple effect that the playgroup has on the mamas, children and community as a whole.

I hope LTP can continue to grow and reach more communities in and outside of Botswana."

Delic G Sehunwe - Deputy Director of Commuity Development (Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development)

"LTP has provided an opportunity to build social support networks for refugee parents. This has helped to lessen social isolation experienced by some families and contributes to parents’ wellbeing and confidence.

LTP has provided a space for our refugee children to participate in and enjoy new activities (access to a variety of toys and equipment). It is providing a stimulating environment for children to acquire and learn new skills."

Ralph-Mpaphi Majaha - Dukwi Refugee Camp Manager

Following initial visits by LTP to the region, engagement with village leadership and forging of a partnership between the two organisations, CCB has taken on the role of facilitating delivery of the LTP programme within the community of Kacgae.

LTP has brought significant and positive changes to the Kacgae community. We love LTP because it is community driven and empowering. The curriculum is holistic and the materials used are sustainable and accessible. It is impactful – all of the above factors mean that children who are otherwise failing to be captured by the more formal ECD structures within rural communities, have a chance at ECD, which sets them up with a stronger foundation for future development.

Since the inception of the programme and through trial and error, we have seen significant development at individual level amongst the Mamas that are assisting the children.

We hope to initiate a playgroup within Bere community – our other target community soon.

- Nidhi Ramsden - Cheetah Conservation Botswana

PARENTAL ENGAGEMENT

During the lockdowns of 2020 & 2021, we had to pivot our strategy to focus on parental engagement so that children didn't miss out on early learning opportunities. Following the success of these programs during COVID, Learn To Play became Botswana's only licensed provider of World Vision's Go Baby Go parenting program which we adapted and translated into Setswana for delivery across communities in Botswana.

In 2021, Learn To Play conducted its first parenting course with ten mothers and two fathers from the Bontleng community. The program proved a resounding success in helping parents feel equipped, proud and confident to contribute to their child’s early development through increased parental engagement, nurturing care and playful parenting approaches.

"I joined Learn To Play’s parenting program because I wanted to learn more about children and parenting. It helped me improve my patience and love for children by giving all my attention to my son and understanding him better. It taught me to control my anger when speaking with them and better understand how to help their development. I am so happy and proud of myself for graduating from the program and now I am working as a teaching assistant. Thanks to the program, I believed in myself and now I am here."

Gonayamodimo Mache Following the program, Gonayamodimo joined our LTP team and now works at Little Einsteins as a teaching assistant

My daughter grew up with her mother and I only saw her one or twice a month on supervised visits. I had to learn how to feed, bathe and even change her diaper.

Thereafter, I was introduced to Learn To Play’s Gola Nnana Gola program where I learned things that I didn't know or took for granted. I learned that playing with your unborn child can form bonds between father and child as well as how to teach your child and see how the child responds to you. We were only two men in the program with all the women and it had a very positive impact as a father on raising our children. We now know it is not the mother’s duty alone to raise the child and that only when both parents are participating are we able to groom a responsible child.

Bontsi Mongale

OUR IMPACT

IMPACT ASSESSMENT Social and Emotional Development

Early Literacy and Communication

33%

45%

Cognitive Development

Overall Improvement

49%

44%

By The Numbers

5

COMMUNITIES

42

MAMAPRENEURS

600 CHILDREN

Over the course of 2021 LTP conducted impact assessments in its Bontleng and Kavimba communities as part of our monitoring and evaluation (M&E) program.

Interruptions in playgroups due to COVID in previous years meant that 2021 was the first year we could pilot our MELQO tool in two of our communities. The results have been overwhelmingly positive showing marked increases across all facets.

We continued to deepen and expand our impact in existing communities and new ones across Botswana. We conducted mamapreneur training and interviews for our community in Dukwi Refugee Camp as well as further professional development for all our mamapreneurs. Our playgroup in Dukwi opened in January 2022 and has been a success since its opening.

HIGHLIGHTS

1.

Our board prioritised play not profit, to create sustainable cycles of ECD by merging REWA Little Einsteins & Learn to Play, bringing more synergy, sustainability and impact to everything we do.

3.

We were selected by HundrED as one of 12 organisations in their Parental Engagement Spotlight highlighting initiatives that strengthen caregiver-child bonds through nurturing relationships.

5.

We began building the first ever community early childhood education centre in Kavimba, Botswana!

7.

We successfully launched our parenting programme, Go Baby Go, to support parents so they feel more confident in providing nurturing and responsive care.

9.

Becoming a Brand Botswana Pridemark company has allowed us to celebrate our beautiful Botswana, our wonderful playground, even more!

2.

We began providing every child at playgroup with a daily nutritious snack to ensure optimal conditions for them to play and learn.

4.

Three of our LtP members became certified in preschool mindfulness, allowing us to make this a core component of our daily curriculum to improve and prioritise children’s emotional and social wellbeing.

6.

We had the privilege of being featured as one of 20 organisations to showcase our excellence and expertise in community impact and engagement during T4’s World Education Week!

8.

Our work with the Dukwi refugee camp has also been a huge part of our year, none of which would have been possible without a US embassy grant!

10.

For a second year running, we were selected for HundrED's 2022 Global Collection which recognises the most impactful and scalable solutions in education globally.

FINANCIAL SUMMARY 2021

Expenses

In 2021 Learn To Play transitioned into a social impact business by merging LTP and REWA Little Einsteins to ensure greater financial sustainability with paid early learning funding free early learning. The change in business model has proved a success allowing LTP to transition from a deficit in 2020 to a surplus (which will be reinvested into community projects) in 2021. It has also ensured that LTP can now stretch its valued donors contributions further to ensure sustainable cycles of impact.

Income

P2,000,000

P1,500,000

P1,000,000

P500,000

P0

2020

2021

INCOME

TOTAL INCOME: P1,701,613.00

Grants and Donations 22.2%

Revenue Generating Activities 77.8%

TOTAL EXPENSES: P1,442,101.00

EXPENSES Merchandise 0.8% Marketing and Advertising 4.1% Miscellaneous Expenses 5.1%

*People and Culture 45%

*People and Culture includes salaries, staff welfare and professional development

Administrative Costs 10.9%

Community Program Costs 22.6%

PLAY HEROES

DONORS & PARTNERS Handa Family Sheela & Raja Ram The Daily Grind Ananth & Aravinda Raja Ram Grant Thornton Botswana Ramesh Family Botswana Reunion Society U.S Embassy in Botswana Sidharth Ram TS Anantharaman Dinesh Textiles LTP also thanks the numerous child sponsors, parents of Little Einsteins and others who have donated to LTP.

Acumen Property Group Bohua Century Office Supplies Creative Culture Ina Lebe Khan Corporate Law Kavimba VDC LimeJuice Masterprint Mr. Veg Muchenje Campsite and Cottages Mwandi View Safaris REWA Moralo Designs

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