USAID, LEGO Foundation Announce Partnership to Improve Early Childhood Care & Education in Ethiopia

March 18/2022 /ENA/ USAID-Ethiopia and the LEGO Foundation have announced a new public-private partnership to improve early childhood care and education across Ethiopia.

Both organizations have agreed to co-fund and co-design education projects worth at least 25 million USD that will help preschool aged children with a focus on children living in conflict and crisis-affected regions, to play, learn, and develop to their full potential.

Acting USAID-Ethiopia Mission Director James Dobson said “USAID-Ethiopia and the LEGO Foundation are committed to increasing opportunities for pre-school-aged children to learn through play at a key stage in brain development before they enter primary school.”

This collaborative work will commence in the coming months and will increase opportunities for children to participate in quality play-based, pre-primary activities that improve their early learning and holistic development. 

The project will prioritize children affected by crisis and conflict, including refugees and IDPs, returnees, and those in host communities.

“Play provides comfort, helps children to overcome traumatic experiences, builds resilience, and returns them to the routine and normalcy of being a child.  This is especially important for young children whose families are on the move due to conflict and crises,” Chief Impact Officer at the LEGO Foundation, Sarah Bouchie said. 

USAID and the LEGO Foundation currently have a world-wide agreement to combine their respective strengths in education and development: leveraging resources, field presence, research, and the ability to meet the pre-primary and primary education needs of children in all corners of the world.