2023 Annual Report

Protect. Educate. Empower. 

Our 2023 Annual Report tells the story of how our teams in 21 countries mobilized last year to protect, educate, and empower children to rise above adversity.

We did it using children’s language — play. And the impact is significant: stronger parent-child bonds in Uganda and Tanzania, more inclusive classrooms in Burundi that meet the needs of children with disabilities, stronger literacy skills in Ethiopia, more children in Lebanon with support to cope with conflict and displacement, and more girls in Senegal with the chance to pursue their dreams.

Our teams also worked with parents, teachers, partners and communities to create enabling environments that will help this and the next generation of children and youth to rise.

This important work was possible thanks to our generous donors, whose unflagging commitment to children made it possible for us to respond to their needs during these uncertain times.

Thanks to your support, more than five million children and young people in 15 countries had the chance to learn in classrooms that are inclusive, playful, and engaging. Teachers received training on how to deliver engaging play-based lessons that improve students’ literacy, numeracy, and socio-emotional skills. Parents and caregivers learned new skills that helped them better support children’s learning and development through play. And children experiencing the trauma of conflict and displacement received support to cope and process difficult emotions and return to learning.

With our civil society, funding, academic, and government partners, we learned more about how play supports children’s learning, and explored ways to scale what works to protect, educate, and empower more children around the world.

In Tanzania and Uganda, 12,500 young children have more positive relationships with their parents and are more ready to learn thanks to the Play to Grow program. The percentage of caregivers in Uganda who reported observing positive socio-emotional skills and behaviours in their children more than doubled, rising to 46% from 21% at the start to the project.

In Pakistan 1,500 out-of-school children in Karachi went back to learning thanks to our team, who supported them to enroll in non-formal education centres that support learning and life-skills development for disadvantaged youth.

In Lebanon, women and youth were able to promote social cohesion using music, sports, and other play-based approaches through a new program that will reach close to one million community members over the lifetime of the project.

When an emergency strikes, children are the first and the most affected.

In 2023, we responded to three emergencies through the Children’s Emergency Fund. Donations to the Fund support children and families with the supplies, spaces, and support they need to cope with trauma and return to learning.

We are deeply thankful for the individuals, governments, foundations, agencies, and businesses whose support helps us to protect, educate, and empower millions of children each year.

Thank you for working towards a future where children are free from abuse, heard, respected, and empowered.