Transforming everyday moments into brain-building opportunities for children in northern Pakistan

Arman, a father in Ghizer District in remote northern Pakistan, is noticing changes in his family’s lifestyle. His 18-month-old child is less dependent on screen time and more engaged in active play. These shifts happened after his family implemented simple parenting tips developed by the Bezos Family Foundation and adapted by the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) through the Vroom project.

Vroom offers science-based advice to help caregivers of children under five engage in brain-building activities with their child. The Vroom tips centre around familiar, everyday positive parenting habits that can significantly impact the development of young minds.

The tips are explained through a variety of formats, including infographics, animated videos, audio messages and live-action videos in local languages. One video shows, for example, how offering a child two manageable choices – such as “Do you want to wear the green shirt or the blue shirt today?”– can help build confidence and decision-making skills. Another video highlights the importance of small interactions, like previewing the day ahead to help young children know what to expect and feel more secure.

While the tips are universal, the videos, booklets and other resources created by the AKF Vroom project feature people, places and languages that resonate with families in northern Pakistan. Life in these remote communities can be challenging, with families often struggling to fulfil their basic needs. AKF’s Vroom project works within this fragile context, equipping caregivers to integrate brain-building opportunities into everyday activities, leading to better health, stronger social outcomes and greater economic wellbeing.

The Bezos Family Foundation’s Vroom initiative reaches nearly 2 million families in all 50 U.S. states and over 80 countries worldwide. Since 2021, AKF has been adapting Vroom’s proven approach for communities in Pakistan and India – recently expanding into Kenya and Zanzibar – by translating and customising its materials for local languages and cultures and sharing them through trusted community channels. The Vroom Project in Pakistan is a joint effort between AKF, the Aga Khan University and Aga Khan Rural Support Programme.

At the heart of the Vroom early childhood development programme is a commitment to designing resources that fit the lived experiences of parents, caregivers and frontline workers. Rather than simply translating the English tips into local languages, the Vroom Pakistan team used a human-centered design (HCD) approach to conduct in-depth research and interviews to understand local needs and preferences.

The project’s messaging is inclusive of a diversity of languages, literacy levels and digital connectivity. For example, AKF prioritises sharing messages on digital channels like WhatsApp and Facebook in districts where most caregivers own mobile devices. And in areas where technology is less accessible, AKF distributes information through health professionals, teachers and early childhood development (ECD) facilitators in the community.

HCD researchers also interviewed 53 fathers from four districts to explore their unique experiences, challenges and opportunities as male caregivers. Their input is shaping new strategies to better support men in nurturing their children’s development.

In the midst of everyday routines – getting ready in the morning, sharing a meal, playing with siblings – the Vroom materials are building positive interactions between caregivers and children in these remote regions. In turn, children are experiencing meaningful learning opportunities and growing important development skills like focus, problem-solving and self-control.

This year, even more families will benefit from science-backed tips. AKF Pakistan’s Vroom project will expand to new geographies and tailor an additional 260 tips for caregivers of children ages three to five.

As part of AKF’s commitment to make learning accessible and engaging to everyone, these Vroom resources are available to anyone in the world and completely free of charge through the AKF Learning Hub:

1. Booklet of the 269 Vroom tips وروم ٹپس کا کتابچہ – AKF | The Learning Hub

1. Animations, وروم ٹپس پرمتحرک  ویڈیوز – AKF | The Learning Hub

1. Videos  وروم ٹپس پرویڈیوز – AKF | The Learning Hub

The Bezos Family Foundation is an independent, nonprofit private Foundation founded by Mike and Jackie Bezos and their family. Since 2000, the Foundation has partnered with remarkable organizations and individuals to transform how we prepare young people from prenatal through young adulthood to pursue their own path for success and meaningfully contribute to society. In addition to grantmaking, the Foundation runs two in-house programs: Bezos Scholars Program and Vroom.