From Play to Progress: Tanzania Celebrates a Milestone in Education
The official close of the PlayMatters Project in Tanzania
Dec 12, 2025
The official close of the PlayMatters Project wasn't an ending, but a celebration of a legacy taking root. On September 24, 2025, the air at Dar es Salaam's Sea Shells Hotel was electric with student performances and a shared commitment to the future, marking five successful years of bringing joyful, play-based learning to Tanzania's children.
The event brought together over 270 participants, including government leaders, educators, and 150 children, to celebrate a simple yet powerful idea: that Learning through Play (LtP) can revolutionize classrooms. Since 2020, the project, implemented by Plan International and the International Rescue Committee (IRC) in partnership with the government, has been embedding playful pedagogy in refugee and host community schools in Kigoma.
A Legacy of Tangible Impact
The celebration was a showcase of evidence and emotion. Student performances—from welcoming songs to traditional “ngonjera” poems demonstrated the confidence and creativity the approach nurtures. Behind the joy lay hard data. Researchers from partner Universities like the University of Dodoma (UDOM) and Dar es Salaam University College of Education (DUCE) presented findings confirming significant improvements in teacher practices, student engagement, and academic performance.
Key achievements celebrated included:
- Renovated classrooms and teacher resource centers.
- Distribution of vital teaching materials and digital devices.
- Nationally integrated LtP resources, including co-developed guides now part of Tanzania's Learning Management Information System (LMIS).
Students from Victoria Primary School, Dar es Salaam, singing at the event.
Playful Learning Future Sustainability
The most powerful message of the day was one of sustainability. In a pivotal announcement, the Director General of the Tanzania Institute of Education (TIE) confirmed that Learning through Play has been formally integrated into the national curriculum.
“The legacy of PlayMatters is set to continue enriching Tanzania’s education system,” said Fadhili, the PlayMatters project lead, Plan International, Tanzania, reflecting on the strong government commitment voiced at the event. This was further reinforced by the Agency for the Development of Educational Management (ADEM) plans for a national Learning through Play teaching competition, ensuring the momentum continues to grow.
Students participating in a play activity during an LtP session led by champion teachers at the event.
The PlayMatters project may be concluding, but its philosophy has taken root. From the refugee camps of Kibondo to the national policy offices of Dar es Salaam, the promise of a more joyful, engaging, and effective education for every child is now a reality, ready for the next generation.
In Tanzania, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) and PLAN International have been implementing the PlayMatters project in the refugee camps and host communities, in Kasulu and Kibondo, respectively. The project’s target reach was an estimated 100,000 learners in five years, and it has been able to reach 119,907 children in 101 schools.