BRAC IED’s Play Lab: A Creative Space for Children’s Development
At the Hope Festival, BRAC IED’s Play Lab stall provided children with an interactive and creative space to express themselves and develop essential skills. A child proudly described their imaginative creation, a human giraffe called ‘gira-man.’ The Play Lab initiative, developed by BRAC IED, recognizes the importance of play in early childhood development.
Nahid Parvin, a senior manager at BRAC IED, explains that playing enables children to express themselves, interact with others, and have fun.
The Hope Festival, which ran for three days starting February 9th, is part of BRAC’s 50-year celebration march. People of all ages and backgrounds, including parents, educationists, and celebrities, visited the Play Lab stall, where children engaged in various arts and crafts activities such as making origami binoculars and clay toys.
BRAC IED currently supervises 304 Play Labs nationwide, staffed by play leaders who guide children in their artistic and creative experiments. Hamida Ashrafi Fateha, an architect with BRAC IED, emphasizes the affordability of these play centers, stating that they are designed with low or no-cost materials, making them accessible to children from all backgrounds. The Play Lab model has also been replicated in other countries, such as Uganda and Tanzania.
BRAC IED is not only focused on the Play Lab initiative but is also working towards establishing daycare centers with play facilities for children of low-income households whose parents work in the readymade garment industry.
Nahid Parvin, senior manager at BRAC IED, adds that they are collaborating with the government to develop curricula to ensure children receive quality education and care.
Read more: BRAC Hope Festival
The Play Lab initiative and daycare centers aim to improve the lives of children in Bangladesh by providing them with access to quality education and care. Parents who visited the Play Lab with their children expressed their appreciation for the initiative, as it provided a space for children to play and learn.
Mehzabin Haque, a professor at Dhaka University, emphasizes the importance of play for children, stating that it is a right and a basic demand like food. BRAC IED hopes to develop a creative generation in Bangladesh through the Play Lab initiative, providing children with a safe space to learn and grow.
Since 2013, BRAC IED has been working to enhance mental health at different levels of society throughout the country with the help of almost 700 para counsellors. These para counsellors are elected leaders from their respective communities and are well-versed in the local languages, offering mental health support to everyone, including children, adolescents, and parents.
-Source: The Business Standard
