Our Work

ENABLE PLAY LEARNING PROGRAMME  EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT AND CAREGIVER SUPPORT

At One to One Africa, we believe every child deserves the chance to thrive from the very beginning. Our early childhood development journey began in 2019 with the Bright Start Programme in Cape Town, using toy‑based cognitive stimulation to support children affected by HIV. The science is clear: around 90% of brain growth happens before the age of five, shaping lifelong learning, communication, and problem‑solving. Yet millions of children worldwide—over 200 million—risk falling behind due to poverty, poor health, malnutrition, HIV, and limited stimulation at home. In South Africa alone, half of children under four are not enrolled in any early childhood programme.

Building on Bright Start’s success, we adapted the model for rural communities in the Eastern Cape, where poverty and malnutrition are widespread and access to formal early learning is scarce. In 2022, we launched Enable Play Learning (EPL) under our wider Enable 3.0 platform. EPL integrates early stimulation, literacy, nutrition, and positive parenting within the WHO Nurturing Care Framework—bringing learning opportunities directly into homes and villages where no ECD centres exist.

Since its launch, EPL has shown remarkable results in some of the most resource‑constrained communities:

  • 830 caregivers and 830 children reached between January and June 2025 through small‑group sessions led by trained Mentor Mothers and ECD mentors.
  • Children demonstrated measurable gains in learning readiness, expressive language, and social interaction.
  • Caregivers reported greater confidence in supporting their children’s development at home.
  • 916 households received seedlings, and 97 caregivers maintained home gardens, strengthening nutrition alongside early learning.

EPL’s impact has gained international recognition—most recently at the AIDS Impact Conference in Casablanca (May 2025), where we presented the model to global peers.

By combining play, parenting, and food security, Enable Play Learning is proving that even in last‑mile communities, young children can flourish when given the right start.

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CHILDREN

An estimated 1.8 million children are living with HIV. Children aged 0 – 4 years who are HIV-positive are more likely to die than any other age group living with HIV. Only 42% of affected children have access to life-saving Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART).

One to One Children’s Fund interventions focus on community-based HIV prevention, healthcare and support for children living with the condition. We identify children as early as possible to ensure they receive treatment, care and support so they can live and thrive.

 

“The best counsellors for the children are their parents, we then have to support them to support their child.”
— Diana, Community Health Worker

 

Children living with HIV are less likely to receive ART than adults and without this treatment, one in three HIV-positive children die before their first birthday. Too often children are not tested or treated because of the enormous fear and stigma which keeps parents from seeking testing and treatment for themselves, and their children.

Our programmes ensure that children access quality treatment and child-friendly care in both health facilities and their communities. By visiting patients at home, our community health workers (CHWs) give children and families support in a comfortable setting where they feel safe. CHWs reach people who might be unable to attend clinics due to the distance and costs involved in travelling and engaging the whole family, which is difficult to do through a clinic but is hugely beneficial for the child.

We also work closely with local partners and clinics, allowing them to identify what we can do to provide the most crucial support for them.