Education and Lifelong Learning

Early Childhood Development and Play-Based Learning

At SASCU, we believe that every child has the right to learn, grow, and reach their full potential. Early childhood development (ECD) is the foundation for this journey, shaping the skills, confidence, and social-emotional growth children need to thrive.

We promote access to both home-based and institutional pre-primary education, ensuring children develop essential early skills such as literacy, numeracy, and socio-emotional learning. Central to this approach is learning through play, a method that fosters exploration, creativity, problem-solving, and hands-on engagement. Play is not just fun—it is a critical tool for holistic child development.

For children aged 0–3 years, we focus on nurturing care and stimulation through inclusive, joyful, and meaningful play strategies. We support caregivers with knowledge and tools for responsive caregiving, establish safe play spaces in homes and communities, and create play corners that enhance attachment and early brain development. These experiences help infants and toddlers build communication, motor, cognitive, and emotional regulation skills, laying a strong foundation for lifelong learning.

For children aged 3–5 years, we emphasize integrating play-based learning into early education and community programs. Our support extends to schools and communities to implement structured, play-rich pre-primary programs that foster school readiness in literacy, numeracy, and socio-emotional growth. Teachers receive training on inclusive, developmentally appropriate practices, and communities are engaged on the value of play in early learning.

In all our efforts, we prioritize vulnerable children, including refugees, other forcibly displaced persons, and children in street situations. Play therapy is a key tool for rehabilitation, providing a safe and structured space for children to express emotions, rebuild trust, and regain normalcy. In refugee settlements and child-friendly spaces, therapeutic play activities support recovery, wellbeing, and reintegration.

Through culturally sensitive, locally adaptable play-based models, we ensure that all children, regardless of background or circumstance, benefit from the developmental power of play. SASCU also trains parents, caregivers, and teachers on the importance of play, embedding it into both parenting and early learning programs.

Basic, Accelerated, Vocational and Tertiary Education

Education is a powerful catalyst for change, particularly for vulnerable children and young people. At SASCU, we ensure that marginalized children, including young women, street-connected, refugee, and displaced youth, young people with disabilities, have access to quality, inclusive education that opens pathways to economic independence, reintegration, and social empowerment.

Our programs support access to basic education, accelerated learning, and market-relevant vocational training and tertiary education. We sponsor children and young people from communities, refugee settlements, and street situations, helping them enroll, stay in school, and complete their education in safe and supportive environments.

Our education program has a special focus on vulnerable groups, including girls, children with disabilities, and displaced or minority children, ensuring inclusive, context-specific learning environments. Interventions include menstrual health support, reading corners, improved educational infrastructure, and extracurricular learning opportunities.