FundLife Equips Dulag Partners to Support Safer, More Meaningful Learning Through Play

For children to learn through play, they need people who can guide their experiences, include different abilities, and respond when someone needs support. Strengthening these skills was the focus of FundLife’s Play for Impact Capacity Building for Safe and Effective Project Implementation, which brought together 34 participants across two sessions on September 26 and October 3, 2026, in Dulag, Leyte.

The training engaged school, youth, and local government partners in understanding and applying FundLife’s approach to its 2026–2027 programme implementation. Through discussions and hands-on activities, partners explored how football, futsal, and purposeful play can support learning while helping children feel safe, respected, and included.

Partners first experienced the approach as learners. Game-based activities connected movement with learning tasks, including calculating fractions through ball passing and identifying cell parts through a team challenge. These experiences showed how facilitators can connect play with clear learning objectives, then use reflection to help learners make sense of what happened and apply their learning beyond the activity.

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For school partners, the value extended to their own teaching.

“The training helped us a lot. We gained new learning, and we can also use the approach in our own work,” shared a teacher participant.

A youth participant also highlighted how the experience could support their role in guiding younger learners.

“It helps us young people improve our skills, such as communication and leadership, so we can help students and children learn how to respond to different situations,” the participant shared.

The sessions also explored what meaningful participation requires. Partners considered how activities could be adapted for learners with different abilities, confidence levels, and support needs. This reinforced the importance of observing who may be left out and adjusting instructions, rules, or the pace so that everyone has opportunities to contribute.

The second part focused on the practical responsibilities behind safe and consistent programme delivery. Partners examined challenges such as conflicting schedules, low attendance, weather disruptions, and communication gaps, alongside safeguarding risks and procedures for raising concerns. Discussions clarified how FundLife, schools, youth leaders, and local government partners can coordinate support before, during, and after activities.

A local government participant shared that the training deepened their understanding of FundLife, moving from having heard about the organisation to experiencing its approach firsthand.

For FundLife, strengthening partner capacity is an investment in the quality of children’s everyday learning experiences. When the people around them can facilitate purposeful activities, recognise barriers to participation, and coordinate timely support, children have better opportunities to keep learning, build confidence, and take an active role in their schools and communities.