Inside the "play labs" helping refugee kids heal | Erum Mariam

Culturally relevant play serves as a vital tool for healing and development among refugee children who have experienced extreme trauma. When standardized toys fail to resonate, integrating traditional games, rhymes, and art from a child’s home culture restores a sense of identity, pride, and joy. The Humanitarian Play Lab model, developed by educational leader Erum Mariam, demonstrates that providing spaces where children can engage in familiar cultural activities significantly improves their confidence and social awareness. Case studies of children like Noor, Mohammed, and Tuhinur illustrate how these interventions transform withdrawn, shy individuals into bold, empathetic, and resilient participants in their communities. By scaling this approach to reach over 50,000 children in Bangladesh and expanding into the Rhino Camp in Uganda, the initiative underscores the universal right of every child to access play that is rooted in their own heritage and lived experience.