New voices for a world where play heals

To deliver a message in an emergency, it’s important to find new messengers to relay it

Without teachers to rely on to spread the learning through play message during COVID-19, new voices became advocates and champions; from neighbours next door who could help with reading for illiterate parents, to community leaders who could use their respect and position to encourage others to listen.

These messengers not only amplified partner messages, but relayed those of the families themselves in return. They understood their communities best: the culture, needs and obstacles. That knowledge could surpass the distance, lockdowns and uncertainty, fed back to partners who could listen, adapt and shift to what was being heard on the ground

In order to involve parents, partners found that they needed to first help them
discover and understand the concept of learning through play. In some cases the
best way to secure their engagement was to help them to “just have fun”
themselves.

Parents witnessed their children develop their cognitive skills by the simple act of
playing, and many have since discovered the meaning and value of learning
through play for their children’s development.

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