The Lego Foundation’s global Build, a World of Play Challenge, has selected Ubongo as one of five recipients to receive funding for audacious, cutting-edge, and significant early childhood solutions.
Ubongo is proud to be Africa’s leading creator and producer of children’s educational media. The LEGO Foundation is giving away a total of DKK 900 million (around US$ 117 million) to organizations that significantly improve the lives of children from birth to age six and inspire a movement to prioritize early childhood development. Akili Family, Ubongo’s initiative, has gotten $27.8 million.
Ubongo, a previous finalist for the AppsAfrica Innovation Award, produces and distributes customized educational materials to over 31 million families across 23 African nations via TV, radio, digital, and mobile. Ubongo intends to expand its Akili Family program to reach more kids and their caregivers at home using play-based early learning materials. In an endeavour to create an “Africa of Play,” Akili Family combines pre-primary “edutainment” with caregiver support materials.
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The Lego Foundation Global Challenge Award
On February 16, 2022, the LEGO Foundation launched the Build a World of Play Challenge to address the COVID-19 disease outbreak global early childhood emergency, which is characterized by poor access to quality services and support during a child’s critical early years of development. The awards highlight the LEGO Foundation’s commitment in the LEGO® brand’s 90th year to ensuring that children around the world have the opportunity to reach their full potential through play.
“African kids have the potential to transform the world as we know it. With this opportunity, millions more children across the continent will grow up with African learning experiences that are designed for them and with them. Their parents and caregivers will also be motivated and inspired to support them as they discover the world and themselves and become lifelong learners. I’m excited to see what the continent and the world will look like 20 years from now, given the catalytic impact of the support from the LEGO Foundation,” said Iman Lipumba, Ubongo’s Director of Communications and Development.
The Challenge received 627 valid proposals from 86 countries, with ten finalists chosen from among them. Applicants were judged on four criteria by multidisciplinary experts from around the world: whether they were impactful, feasible, community-centered, and sustainable. The awards announced will aid in the advancement of specific bold projects that promote the well-being of children, caregivers, and communities through culturally relevant and sustainable approaches.
With this opportunity, millions more children throughout the continent will grow up with African learning experiences designed specifically for and with them.
“We are uniquely prepared to ‘build an Africa of play’, not only because Ubongo’s characters are African kids’ best friends and teachers, but also because we are a key player at the center of early learning and development in Africa. Our biggest collaborators are kids themselves – we co-create content they can relate to and understand,” added Ms Lipumba.
By 2028, Ubongo will have built an ecosystem of partners to provide play-based early learning resources in more than 20 local languages to more than 65 million families in 49 countries. Akili Family will improve children’s cognitive, social, and emotional skills and empower caregivers to support learning through play.
The Chairman of the LEGO Foundation Board of Directors, Thomas Kirk Kristiansen, stated: “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.”
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About The LEGO Foundation
The LEGO Foundation aims to create a world in which children may develop their creativity, engagement, and capacity for learning via play.