Dalori play & Learn Hubs

Play-based,mother-led early learning restoring childhood for 2,500 displaced children aged 3-8

In Dalori, Borno, 2,500 displaced children 3-8, including 300 with disabilities, have no school after Boko Haram attacks. We run 40 mother-led inclusive Play & Learn Hubs using low-cost adapted play kits and trauma healing through play, restoring learning, joy and inclusion, backed by 40 SBMCs and Borno govt.

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Overview

Information on this page is provided by the innovator and has not been evaluated by HundrED.

Updated October 2026

2026

Established

2.5K 2026

1

Countries

Students early

Target group

We dream of a Borno where no child aged 3-8 is invisible - especially in IDP camps. Where a child with disability is not hidden at home, but sits on a mat, laughing, playing, learning with peers. The change we want is systemic: ECCE must be recognized as life-saving in emergencies, not optional. In Dalori, we proved it: 40 mother-led Inclusive Play & Learn Hubs cost $45 each, need no building, no electricity, and include 300 children with disabilities through Peer Buddy, large-print books, tactile kits and ramps. Long-term, we want Borno SUBEB and Federal Government to adopt this as official IDP ECCE model. Every IDP camp in Northeast Nigeria - Bakassi, Muna, Monguno - should have mother-teachers trained, SBMCs empowered, and children with disabilities budgeted for. We want to shift power: from NGO-led tents to community-led play. Mothers who were called "helpless IDPs" become teachers, protectors of brain development. Children who knew only fear learn to trust, share, count, and dream again. Success for us is when 2,500 Dalori children transition to primary school ready - socially, emotionally, and with foundational literacy/numeracy - and when inclusion is norm, not exception. This is early learning impact: healing trauma through play, at scale, by the displaced themselves.

About the innovation

Why did you create this innovation?

In Dalori IDP camp, Maiduguri, over 15,000 people live after fleeing Boko Haram. 2,500 children aged 3-8 have no ECCE - no classroom, no play, no healing. Among them, we verified 342 children with disabilities (visual, hearing, physical, intellectual) who are hidden at home due to stigma and totally excluded.

Formal schools are overcrowded (1,120), teachers are absent, and IDP children face discrimination. Mothers told us: "Our children have forgotten how to play, they only fear."

We created Dalori Play & Learn Hubs because early play is not luxury - it is survival. For displaced children, especially those with disabilities, play restores brain development, language, trust and joy. No NGO was providing inclusive ECCE. We have 40 SBMCs, 12 field officers living in Dalori, and mothers ready to lead. So we built a solution by IDPs, for IDPs - mother-led, low-cost, inclusive from day one.

What does your innovation look like in practice?

Our innovation is 40 inclusive Play & Learn Hubs in Dalori's 4 zones. Each Hub is a safe space under a tree/shelter run by 1 trained IDP mother-teacher for 25 children (20 without disability, 5 with).

Daily 2-hour session:
1. Welcome song & trauma check-in
2. Storytelling with large-print picture books + tactile cards
3. Numeracy with locally made beads, bottle caps
4. Free inclusive play with adapted kits - sensory bottles, textured puzzles, ramp for wheelchair, Peer Buddy system pairing disabled and non-disabled child.

We use 40 low-cost adapted kits ($45 each) made in Dalori - no electricity needed. Mother-teachers trained 5 days on inclusive play, disability support, and SEL. SBMCs monitor, Konduga LGEA & Borno SUBEB endorse. Weekly home visits for children who cannot come. Learning is measured via simple play-based observation: communication, sharing, counting. Joy returns first.

How has it been spreading?

We started 45 days ago with 4 pilot Hubs, now community demand pushed us to 40 Hubs across Dalori. Verification done name-by-name by 12 officers.

Spread is community-driven, not marketing:
- 40 SBMCs signed MoU and provide space/security
- Konduga LGEA, Borno SUBEB and State Ministry of Education gave written endorsement
- 3 neighboring IDP camps (Bakassi, Muna, El-Miskin) requested replication
- WhatsApp group of 189 IDP mothers shares daily play activities
- Low-cost model ($45/kit) makes it replicable without donor dependence

Our evidence: 2,500 children mapped, attendance register, 40 mothers trained, photos/videos. This is how we spread - through trust of displaced mothers and government backing, not ads.

How have you modified or added to your innovation?

First we planned only for general IDP children. During name-by-name mapping, we found 342 children with disabilities locked indoors. Mothers were crying that they were forgotten.

We modified three things:
1. Added disability inclusion: Created adapted kits - large-print books, tactile Braille cards, sensory toys, low ramps. Trained mother-teachers on basic inclusive support.
2. Added Peer Buddy System: Each child with disability is paired with a friend without disability to learn together - this reduced stigma fast.
3. Added Trauma Healing: After hearing nightmares and fear, we added SEL - songs, breathing games, drawing feelings. Local imams and women leaders co-designed stories to rebuild trust.

Innovation became stronger because we listened to Dalori mothers.

If I want to try it, what should I do?

You can replicate Dalori Hubs in any displacement camp in 4 weeks:

1. MAP: Do name-by-name mapping of children 3-8, include children with disabilities (ask door-to-door, they are often hidden).
2. RECRUIT: Select trusted IDP mothers (1 per 25 children) and 1 SBMC per zone.
3. TRAIN: Use our 5-day manual - Day 1-2: Foundational play, Day 3: Disability inclusion & Peer Buddy, Day 4: SEL & trauma, Day 5: Kit making.
4. KIT: Make local kit with: large-print storybooks, tactile cards, beads, sensory bottles, mat, ramp - all < $45.
5. START: Launch under tree/shelter, 2 hours daily, SBMC monitors. Track joy, attendance, sharing, counting.

Contact us for free manual and kit list. We mentor new camps via WhatsApp. No building needed - just a mother, a mat, and inclusive play.

Implementation steps

Map Every Child Door-to-Door

Go house-to-house with 2 SBMC members. List all children 3-8. Ask: is there a child with seeing, hearing, walking, learning difficulty hidden at home? In Dalori we found 300. Record name, age, disability type. No child invisible. This is your baseline.

Recruit Mother-Teachers & Get Blessing

Select 1 trusted IDP mother per 25 children (40 mothers for 2500). She must be patient and live in that zone. Sign MoU with SBMC for space under tree/shelter. Get LGEA/SUBEB endorsement. Community owns the Hub from day 1.

Train 5 Days on Inclusive Play

Day 1-2: Play-based early literacy/numeracy with local materials. Day 3: Disability inclusion - large-print books, tactile cards, ramps, Peer Buddy system. Day 4: SEL & trauma - songs, breathing, drawing feelings. Day 5: Make your own kit. Training in Hausa/Kanuri, practical, no PowerPoint.

Make Low-Cost Adapted Kit for $45

Make kit in camp: mat, large-print storybooks, tactile cards with beads, sensory bottles, cardboard puzzles, bottle caps for counting, small wooden ramp. No electricity. One kit serves 25 children including 5 with disabilities. Mothers can repair it themselves.

Launch Daily 2-Hour Inclusive Hub

Run 9-11am daily: 1. Welcome song & feelings check (10m) 2. Story with large-print & tactile cards (20m) 3. Counting game (20m) 4. Free inclusive play with Peer Buddy - child with & without disability paired (40m) 5. Closing & handwashing (10m). 20 + 5 inclusive model.

Peer Buddy, Home Visit & Track Joy

Pair each child with disability with a friend. Thursday home visits for children who cannot come. Track weekly with 1-page sheet: Does child communicate? Share? Count 1-10? SBMC verifies. No exams. Celebrate monthly with parents. Photos prove school readiness.