Book Dash
Book Dash is a not-for-profit, South African social impact publisher of open-sourced, African picture books. Their vision is that "Every child should own a hundred books by the age of five".
Our work
140 countries around the world
Our projects and campaigns are active in more than 140 countries, and the vast majority of our projects are led by local social entrepreneurs and project partners. Working together with these partners, we design and deliver on-the-ground projects to drive progress and scale impact through education.
Theirworld projects operate in Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East and North America and include activities ranging from early childhood education centres, girls' entrepreneurship clubs, refugee education projects and youth skills initiatives.
Our Innovation Awards provide social entrepreneurs with seed funding, mentorship and scaling expertise to expand the reach of their education innovations. And our Small Grants programme helps community organisations have a meaningful, local impact.
32 active global projects
Click on a country to see which projects are active there
All Projects
Innovation Awards
The best start in life
Every child deserves a healthy birth and quality early childhood development and education. We work to unlock the best start for every child.
A safe place to learn
Every child has the right to an education free from fear of discrimination, violence or attack. We work to provide refugees, girls, children with disabilities and other underserved young people with the education they deserve.
Skills for the future
Young people are the next generation of changemakers, campaigners, entrepreneurs and workers. We work to help them develop the skills they’ll need to fulfill their potential, take part meaningfully in society and grow the global economy.
The Creative Kids Zone Initiative
The Creative Kids Zone Initiative (TCKZone) addresses the lack of STEM education in Nigeria by going directly to the communities and schools to train the kids in STEM.
Seenaryo
By breaking apart the typical hierarchies of theatre and classrooms, Seenaryo creates playful spaces for the meaningful participation of under-served communities in Lebanon, Jordan and Palestine.
AREAi
Fast Track’ by Aid for Rural Education Access Initiative is an accelerated skills development program for out-of-school refugee children in Nigeria, including an offline ‘talking’ book and pen, to help children develop basic reading and mathematics skills in English and Hausa.
Children On the Edge
Children On the Edge is a community-owned NGO focused on sustainable Early Childhood Development for refugees.
Lebanese Alternative Learning
Lebanese Alternative Learning supports teachers to use messenger applications to provide high-quality remote learning in underserved communities, including via a Telegram bot.
NABU GLOBAL Inc
NABU GLOBAL's aims to achieve inclusive and equitable access to literacy for children through publishing high-quality reading material in mother tongue languages, including via a free, low-bandwidth reading app.
Ubongo International
Ubongo International is bringing high-quality learning to refugee children in Kenya and Uganda, and their families, through interactive clubs, printable learning materials, and educational cartoons.
Madrasa Early Childhood Programme
MECP-K aims is to promote inclusive and equitable early childhood development care and services for children aged 0-8, from marginalised communities in Kenya, by working collaboratively with local communities, frontline ECD workers, governments and other stakeholders.
Škola dokorán – Wide Open School
Škola Dokorán – Wide Open School n. o., is an open non-profit organisation focused on community development and lifelong learning in socially disadvantaged groups, with an emphasis on families, especially those with young children, active at local, national and international levels.
Tanzania Early Childhood Education and Care
TECEC aim is to promote optimal development and well-being in young children from conception to age eight in Tanzania.
The Society of Queen Rania Foundation for Education and Development
The Society of Queen Rania Foundation for Education and Development's mission is to identify educational gaps, design solutions, and provide data and evidence for decision-making in and beyond the classroom.
Amal Alliance
Amal Alliance aims to empower displaced and disenfranchised children through education and social development programs around the globe in both refugee camps and formal school settings.
Maple Leaf Early Years Foundation
Maple Leaf Early Years Foundation aims to promote children's psychosocial, health, nutrition needs, physical development, and learning potential and ensure the right of every child to access early childhood education which will ensure the child's protection from abuse, harm, and health hazards.
Free books for preschool children in Africa, with Book Dash
Book Dash - one of the winners of the second cohort of the Theirworld Education Innovation Awards - condenses the traditional publishing model into just 12 hours to make new books for preschool children and their families.
Leave No One Behind, with Designathon
Empowering refugee children to find solutions to the climate emergency
Leap Forward, with Chance for Childhood
Supporting the education of street-connected children and children who are in conflict with the law
MyBestStart Phase 2
Providing children, parents and caregivers in Lebanon with tools and resources to access quality early childhood education
Digital Literacy in Kenya, with the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy
Improving digital literacy across rural northern Kenya
JA Rise Up Girls with Junior Achievement Africa
Building future female business leaders in Africa
Thaki Digital Skills
Improving digital literacy of young refugees, vulnerable children and teachers in Lebanon.
Earthquake Trauma Relief with Maya Vakfi
Providing trauma support to children affected by the 2023 earthquakes in Turkey
Hatua Kenya e-learning pilot
Boosting career opportunities for marginalised young people in Kenya
Best Start Early, with Chance for Childhood
Providing inclusive early childhood care and education for vulnerable children in Ghana
Fast Track with AREAi
Helping displaced and out-of-school children in Nigeria to develop basic reading, writing and maths skills.
Skills for Their Future with BRAC Tanzania
Empowering girls with vital digital skills to help them succeed in the workplace.
Leap together
We partner with local organisation Chance for Childhood to identify and cater to special learning needs among children who live on the streets. The programme also helps communities create environments where young people with different needs feel safer.
Tech hub training
Teachers at the Mtein and Taalabaya public schools were better placed to adapt than most in Lebanon, thanks to the Tech Hub programme which began in 2016. A partnership between Theirworld, Digital Opportunity Trust (DOT) and Rumie, it had already been training teachers in the use of digital technology for four years
All children in education
Working alongside the Greek government, UNICEF and local community organisations, Theirworld has invested more than $5 million to address the refugee education crisis in the Greek mainland and Islands.
Heal together
In Greece, Theirworld works with Amna Refugee Healing Network, to help extend its Baytna Hubs programme to more partner organisations, using a sustainable approach to the delivery of early childhood education.
Trauma informed schools
Theirworld partners with Maya Vakfi in Turkey to deliver a programme which helps students cope with traumatic experiences and gives teachers the skills to understand and address their needs.
MyBestStart
For the MyBestStart project Theirworld works with agencies on the ground in Lebanon to provide children, parents and teachers with tools and resources to provide valuable early childhood education.