To help the traumatised Rohingya children heal and learn, BRAC developed a play-based early childhood development (ECD) solution called the Humanitarian Play Lab (HPL)—an adaptation of BRAC’s play lab model used in non-humanitarian settings. In collaboration with researchers from Monash University, BIGD is evaluating the impact of HPL on the Rohingya children aged 0-6 years as well as on their parents/caregivers. If proven effective, HPL can be scaled up to help millions of forcibly-displaced children leave behind their painful past and to put them on a better trajectory.
Researchers: Dr Asadul Islam; Dr Narayan C. Das; Tanvir Shatil; Anika Zaman
Partners: Monash University
Timeline: 2019-2021
Status: Ongoing
Contact: Dr Narayan C. Das; narayan.das@bracu.ac.bd
Context
Policymakers are paying increasing attention to ECD as evidence is mounting, from both medical and social science, on how crucial the early years are for children to become healthy, productive adults; how cognitive and psycho-social skills learned during childhood determine future success; and why ECD is an effective strategy to build the future of children as well as the nation.
Play is an important instrument of ECD. Through play, children make sense of the world and develop knowledge and social skills. It is also therapeutic as it helps children express their feelings. Play has long been used as an effective therapy to address different mental health needs of children.
Fifty-five per cent of the million Rohingya who found asylum in Bangladesh are children, many of whom are separated from their families, and have seen or have been victims of violence. To help the traumatised Rohingya children heal and learn, BRAC developed a play-based ECD solution called the Humanitarian Play Lab (HPL)—an adaptation of BRAC’s play lab model used in non-humanitarian settings. HPL engages vulnerable Rohingya children with play-based activities that stimulate their socio-emotional, cognitive and language development while promoting resilience and establishing a sense of normalcy among them. In collaboration with researchers from Monash University, BIGD is evaluating the impact of HPL on the Rohingya children aged 0-6 years as well as on their parents/caregivers.
Because of persecution, conflict, violence, or human rights violations, the present world has more than 70 million forcibly displaced people—the highest number ever recorded. If proven effective, HPL can be scaled up to help millions of forcibly-displaced children leave behind their painful past and to put them on a better trajectory.
Intervention
HPL is meant for children aged 0-6 years; the children are divided into three age groups: 0-2 years, 2-4 years, and 4-6 years. The children aged 0-2 years receive home-based early stimulation through their mothers/caregivers. Pregnant women and mothers of children aged 0-2 receive counselling on issues related to childcare, maternal mental health, the importance of play in ECD, and the parent-child relationship. For 2-4 year and 4-6 year age groups, the HPL takes place in the child-friendly spaces operated by BRAC, where children engage in a comprehensive curriculum incorporating art therapy, basic math, science, and literacy. Additionally, the children receive psychosocial support into the play curriculum.
Objectives
The objectives of this study are to:
- Evaluate the impact of play on ECD (i.e. cognitive, socio-emotional, and physical) of the refugee children aged 0-6 years; and
- Evaluate the impact of the intervention on the psycho-social well-being of parents/caregivers (i.e. reduction stress, trauma, and anxiety).
This study is relevant to SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-Being), particularly to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.
Methodology
A randomized control trial (RCT) for evaluating the home-based intervention for 0-2 age group:
We have performed randomisation at the block level—lowest administrative tier in the camps—to test the effectiveness of the home-based intervention. For this purpose, we randomly selected 220 blocks from the list of blocks in which BRAC had planned to start the intervention in April 2019. From the selected blocks, we randomly assigned 120 blocks to the treatment group, which are receiving the intervention now, and the remaining 100 blocks to the control group, which will receive the intervention after endline data collection. We will survey all the mothers of 0-2-year-olds in these 220 blocks, who have been selected to receive the program now (in the treatment group) or later (in the control group), 3,500 in total.
A quasi-experimental evaluation of the centre-based intervention for 2-4 year and 4-6 year groups:
BRAC started this intervention in 152 child-friendly spaces in 2017/18, which are serving as our treatment group and in 91 centres in 2019, which are serving as our control group. We will survey ten randomly selected children and their mothers/caregivers from each child-friendly space—2,500 children and their mothers/caregivers in total.
The following survey tools will be used in the study:
- Socio-economic survey;
- Questionnaire on the psychological state of mothers/caregivers of children aged 0-2 years and 2-6 years;
- Questionnaire for children aged 2-6 years;
- Kessler 10 (K10) and CESD-R Scale for the assessment of depression;
- Ages and stages questionnaire 3 (ASQ3);
- Ages and stages socio-emotional questionnaire
Findings and Recommendations
Study ongoing.
