Hope Growing in the Playroom: İlin’s Story
The journey of a mother and daughter empowered by early childhood education
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For five-year-old İlin, the playroom is no longer just a classroom. It is a space where friendships are formed, new words are learned, and self-confidence begins to blossom. In Adana, this playroom has become an important part of her daily life. Her mother, Lihem, says their lives began to change after discovering this centre.
Lihem came to Türkiye from Aleppo in 2014 and lives with her parents and daughter İlin. “When I first brought my daughter to this playroom, I felt very good,” she says. “İlin is happier now and has made friends in the centre. Every morning she says, ‘Come on mum, let’s go! I miss my teacher.’”
Lihem first heard about the playroom from a friend and enrolled İlin a few months ago. She says she noticed changes in her daughter in a short time. “İlin loves her friends and her teacher. Every day when she comes home, she tells me everything they did together,” she says with a smile.
As an only child, İlin often felt bored, Lihem explains. Thanks to the playroom, she has become more social and her Turkish has improved. “I want İlin to become whatever she wishes in the future; I want her to fulfil her dreams,” says Lihem, adding that the support provided by the centre has been important not only for her daughter but also for herself. “I definitely recommend these playrooms to other mothers,” she adds.
Çiğdem Ersoy, the playroom coordinator and a preschool teacher, emphasizes the importance of early childhood education: “When İlin first came here, she was more reserved. She was observing her surroundings and trying to make sense of them,” she says. “But since she started attending, her self-confidence has grown.”
According to Çiğdem, play-based learning is a key driver of children’s holistic development. “We conduct music activities with children using musical instruments, and sing songs in both Turkish and Arabic. This helps them learn the language more easily and express themselves more confidently.”
These efforts go beyond the classroom. “Before opening the playroom, we conducted household visits in the neighbourhoods. We visited families, explained the centre and the education that would be provided there, and invited mothers to participate,” she explains.
For Ersoy, early childhood education is a critical foundation for children’s futures. “Learning Turkish and being able to express themselves is very important for their future school life. Early childhood education makes a big difference when it comes to adapting to primary school.”
İlin’s story shows how investing in early childhood education can have a lasting impact on a child’s life.
This playroom was established through the partnership between UNICEF and the Adana Metropolitan Municipality, with financial support from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) through the KfW Development Bank.
