Learn To Play, or Ithute Go Tshameka in Setswana, enables mothers in vulnerable communities to establish child-centred, developmentally-appropriate, and culturally-relevant playgroups. We operate in disadvantaged communities where poverty is high and most children don’t have any exposure to early childhood education.

Our programme utilises an untapped resource as the key change-agent: Mothers. In each community 6 marginalised Mamapreneurs are empowered to improve their children’s education and development using recyclable and reusable materials as well as natural materials from their local environment.

This means that the resources and people-power are readily available and the Playgroup can be delivered, scaled and sustained at low-cost. In fact, you can sponsor a child to attend our Playgroups for less than $1 a day.

Each community receives a ‘Playgroup in a Box’, containing everything that a team of mamapreneurs needs to run their own playgroup: a daily curriculum; a low-cost resource development guide; stories, charts and other learning tools - which are all available in both English and Setswana.

There are 3 key philosophies that underpin our programme and our approach:

1. Learning through play

2. Uplifting women's opportunities

3. High-impact, low-cost

Our playgroups ensure that both the mamapreneurs and children walk away having gained positively from the experience, where children are better equipped for the next stage of life as a result of our intervention - breaking the cycle of poverty and lack of opportunity.