Helping Children Learn Through Play
In Djibouti, USAID works with teachers and parents to help preschoolers succeed
Ali Gueda Boulsa never attended preschool as a child. He is determined to change that for his children.
In the small East African country of Djibouti, just 13% of 3 to 5 year olds attend preschool. Preschool is not mandatory and free public preschool spaces are limited. Many children stay home until age 6 when they enter first grade.
Without preschool, children miss key opportunities to develop foundational learning and social and emotional skills that they need to successfully transition to primary school.
USAID’s Play to Learn project in Djibouti is increasing access to preschool education, especially for the most vulnerable children, and improving the quality of preschool education in both urban and rural areas. Improving early childhood education is key to closing gaps in academic readiness and improving learning outcomes later in life.
This project is also educating teachers, parents, and caregivers on how to use play to help children learn in school and at home.
Ali’s 5-year-old daughter Misrag and his nephew, also named Ali, attend preschool in the capital, Djibouti City. The elder Ali recently participated in a USAID workshop at the school that showed parents and teachers how to use play to support their children’s development.
Parents were taught games, songs, painting, and how to create toys with recycled materials with their children. Teachers worked hand-in-hand with parents and caregivers and shared techniques that everyone — even those that are illiterate — could use to engage their children in play at home.
Ali reflected on the experience: “This type of day is important for us parents. It allows us to follow our children’s progress, understand how impactful playing is for their development and how we, as parents, can support our children at home. I now know it is possible to learn while playing!”
Ali has seen first-hand how preschool impacts future learning. He has an older son who attended preschool. Ali noticed that his son was better able to integrate into elementary school because of his preschool experience.
However, this opportunity remains out of reach for most children in Djibouti.
With limited free public options, many preschools are private and charge unaffordable fees for most families. Low-income families and those living in rural areas are the least likely to send their children to preschools due to cost and distance, exacerbating the learning gap between these children and their peers who did attend preschools.
Ali underscored that preschool should be accessible for vulnerable families. “I would like to encourage parents to spend more time with their children, to follow their progress and to congratulate every little advance they make, to give them confidence,” he says. “For me, education is light, and it enables us to build stronger, more inclusive and united countries.”
Since Learn to Play began in 2023, it has enrolled more than 130 children in preschool in Djibouti City. The project is also rehabilitating rural preschools and launching a national preschool campaign to increase enrollment country-wide.
USAID is working in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training to expand access to equitable, safe, and inclusive preschool throughout Djibouti. A national preschool plan outlines ambitious goals to increase enrollment in preschool and revise the curriculum so that it is centered around a play-based approach. USAID is also supporting the ministry to roll out a national campaign on the importance of preschool and share strategies for parents and caregivers to support their children’s learning at school and at home.
USAID’s work in Djibouti advances the U.S. government’s strategies for Advancing Protection and Care for Children in Adversity and on International Basic Education.
About the Authors
Zeinab Ismail Abdillahi is the Communications Specialist at USAID’s Mission in Djibouti. Lauren Greubel is the USAID/Djibouti Deputy Country Representative.
