USAID & LEGO Foundation Mark One Year of Nurturing Young Minds in Ethiopia

Key Takeaways:

• USAID and the LEGO Foundation celebrate one year of their $46 million Childhood Development Activity in Ethiopia.
• The program supports over 1.8 million pre-primary children with play-based learning in conflict and drought-affected regions.
• Despite challenges, the initiative has already reached 13,000 children in its first year, highlighting the power of play in education.

In a significant milestone for child education in Ethiopia, a collaboration between the U.S. Ambassador Ervin Massinga, USAID Deputy Administrator Paloma Adams-Allen, Professor Berhanu Nega, Minister of Education, and the Danish Ambassador Kira Smith Sindbjerg celebrated the impressive one-year anniversary of the transformative Childhood Development Activity.

This far-reaching, $46 million project, spans over five years and is designed to provide crucial emergency support to pre-primary children. Focusing on regions including Amhara, Afar, Tigray, Oromia, and Somali, it’s estimated to benefit children aged 3 – 6+ years. The initiative currently has an ambitious estimated outreach of 1.8 million children and their communities.

At the heart of the Childhood Development Activity is play-based learning, a cornerstone in nurturing essential life skills such as problem-solving, collaboration, and critical thinking. Emphasizing the value of integrating play into educational policies, the program contributes to the holistic health and future success of Ethiopia’s younger generations. Despite various operational challenges, the program’s first year successfully engaged with over 13,000 children and connected with more than 46 communities across the five targeted regions.

USAID and the LEGO Foundation have been steadfast partners in advancing children’s development needs worldwide, whether in stable or conflict-affected circumstances. Their joint efforts span across countries like Colombia, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Zambia, and South Africa since 2019.

The enduring partnership between the United States and Ethiopia, which has flourished for 120 years, continues to yield benefits in sectors such as health, education, food security, and environmental science — all in the spirit of enhancing the lives of Ethiopians.

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