BILLUND, Denmark, Dec. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The LEGO Foundation has announced five recipients of its Build a World of Play Challenge to fund impactful solutions focused on early childhood. A total of DKK 900 million (approximately US$ 117 Million) is being awarded to support organisations that make substantial contributions to the lives of children from birth to six years old and spark a global movement to prioritise early childhood development.

“Two children play after a wheelchair fitting at Shonaquip Social Enterprises in Cape Town, South Africa. The Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) is working to ensure that the right assistive technology, including wheelchairs, hearing aids and glasses, is available, accessible, and fitted specially to the needs of the individual child, no matter where they live.” Photo Credit: Shonaquip Social Enterprises (Photo credit: Amy Montalvo, One Pass Productions)

Three grants of DKK 200 million (or approx. US$ 28 million) each and two grants for DKK 100 million (or approx. US$ 14 million) each were presented to the awardees. The grants will help in furthering their projects which promote the well-being of children, their caregivers, and their communities, using culturally relevant and sustainable approaches.

The five awardee projects:

• Akili Family: Localised Play-Based Learning for African Families & Communities (DKK 200 million or approx. US$ 28 million): Ubongo International will scale Akili Family, educational entertainment multi-channel programmes that air in several African languages, to support at-home learning for children and their caregivers.
• GogoPlay: Ecosystems of Play for Children in Rural South Africa (DKK 200 million or approx. US$ 28 million): IRD Global will build ecosystems for early childhood development in rural South Africa by upskilling women, especially grandmothers, in play and well-being within villages and co-creating centralised playhouses.
• Reclaiming Indigenous Children's Futures through Home-Visiting and Intergenerational Playspaces (DKK 200 million or approx. US$ 28 million): Johns Hopkins Center for Indigenous Health and partners worldwide will scale culture-based home education and intergenerational play spaces for Indigenous children and families.
• Catalysing REAL Fathers across Uganda for Early Learning and Play (DKK 100 million or approx. US$ 14 million): Impact and Innovations Development Centre and partners will teach positive parenting and non-violent discipline to reinforce positive fatherhood norms.
• Empowering Disabled Children to Play via Early Assistive Technology Access (DKK 100 million or approx. US$ 14 million): Clinton Health Access Initiative will empower disabled children to thrive, by supporting sustainable and community-led government programmes that provide early screening and life-changing assistive technology in eight countries.

Thomas Kirk Kristiansen, Chairman of the LEGO Foundation Board of Directors, said: "As part of the LEGO brand's 90th anniversary, the LEGO Foundation made a commitment to help build a better world for young children to thrive. The Build a World of Play Challenge is designed to do just that, by funding innovative projects that make a real difference for global childhood development and give young children a better start in life. Congratulations to all the recipients, who have all demonstrated game-changing solutions. We look forward to working alongside them as long-term partners, to invest in children's futures."

The LEGO Foundation partnered with Lever for Change a non-profit affiliate of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, to manage the Challenge process.  The Challenge received a total of 627 valid proposals from 86 countries, from which ten finalists were selected. Applicants were evaluated by experts from across the world based on four criteria: whether they were impactful, feasible, community-centred, and sustainable.

More details can be found here.

The LEGO Foundation 

The LEGO Foundation shares the mission of the LEGO Group: to inspire and develop the builders of tomorrow. The Foundation, which owns 25% of the LEGO Group, is dedicated to building a future in which learning through play empowers children to become creative, engaged, lifelong learners. It is through the ownership model, that a portion of profits go to funding research projects, activities and partnerships. www.learningthroughplay.com 

Children are the embodiment of wonder, joy and hope for the future. The Family Spirit program weaves together strengths-based home-visiting education and Indigenous cultural practices for families to promote their children’s future wellbeing. Photo Credit: Ed Cunicelli