Adapted Story from the Field. Special Contribution by UNICEF Ethiopia (Original).

Distinct sounds of joy come from inside classrooms in rural Ethiopia. Children call out to each other, inviting friends to join their games. Letters and numbers are repeated, and laughter punctuates each sentence.

This is just another morning at the new early childhood education classes in the villages of Akasha and Behima, where playful learning is a core part of every day.

“Our main intention to start early childhood education classes in our school was to improve students’ performance. This has been an issue for years and we wanted to lay the foundation at an early age.” ~Debela Tamiru, School Director, Akasha Primary School

Community commitment and ownership in the region has resulted in the construction of new pre-primary classrooms. In Akasha Village, parents, community members and the woreda education bureau made this possible – some provided building materials such as cement, sand and corrugated iron sheets, while others volunteered their time as masons and carpenters to build the dedicated areas for children ages 5-6.

With support from Education Cannot Wait (ECW) and The LEGO Foundation, UNICEF and partners like imagine1day are promoting and expanding access to early childhood education so that children in remote rural villages have access to formative early learning.

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