Child Protection

Play is more than just fun. It’s how young children learn best. Through play, they develop language, build social skills, solve problems, and begin to understand the world around them. But for many families in rural or underserved areas, opportunities for safe, guided play are limited. Without access to early learning spaces, trained caregivers, or knowledge about how to support their child’s development at home, many children miss out on the strong foundation they need to thrive

To change this, ChildFund, with support from The LEGO Foundation, launched “Come Play With Me!”, an early childhood development initiative that ran from 2022 to 2024. The project reached over 35,000 children and caregivers in Addis Ababa, Amhara, Oromia, and (former) South Nations Nationalities and Peoples’ Regions, to promote inclusive and stimulating learning through play. Families learned how to support their children’s growth using simple, everyday activities and received guidance on early stimulation, responsive parenting, and positive discipline.

Using both in-person sessions and radio broadcasts in local languages (Amharic, Afaan Oromoo, Gedeo, and Kistanigna) that reached over 1,000,000 people, the project ensured even the most remote communities could take part. Watch this video to learn more about the impact of this project.