International Rescue Committee to Help Educate 150,000 Ethiopian Children Through Play

[Financial News] An education program incorporating play will be launched for 150,000 Ethiopian children who cannot attend school because of conflict and poverty.
According to the International Rescue Committee (IRC) on the 8th, the Playful Education Pathways in Ethiopia (PEPE), a program being carried out with the LEGO Foundation, has been operating since last month in 34 districts across the Tigray and Amhara regions. Following an initial assessment that began in February, the program has now moved into full-scale education support.
An initial local assessment released by the IRC identified economic hardship, security risks and child labor as factors hindering access to education. It also highlighted the need to determine the status of out-of-school children and strengthen systems to prepare for emergencies.
The program operates in two formats depending on access to transportation. In areas where children can travel safely to class, those aged 10 to 14 receive accelerated instruction covering the primary school curriculum from grades 1 through 4. The program aims to help them rebuild foundational learning skills and return to the formal education system.
In areas where schools have closed or are difficult to reach because of security concerns, classes are held in safe spaces near children’s homes in cooperation with community leaders. Both formats are designed to develop problem-solving and collaboration skills through play and participation.
The initiative is part of a five-year agreement worth $97 million signed by the two organizations in June. The agreement aims to support more than 5 million children in East Africa and the Middle East. The two organizations have worked together since 2019 and have assisted more than 7 million children in 12 countries.
Mary Winters, a senior program manager at the LEGO Foundation, said, "When education is disrupted by conflict, children risk losing not only opportunities to learn but also the sense of stability, connection and joy that are essential to their development." She added that the organizations would establish flexible educational pathways tailored to children’s circumstances.

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