Why we exist
In the midst of our technological abundance, 250 million children do not have access to basic education. When you build a kit, we donate one to a displaced out-of-school child.
Ambessa means lion in Eritrean and Ethiopian languages but you can also say ‘ambessa!’ to a child as ‘well done!’ translating to: brilliant, clever, strong.
Between Feynman, xckd and Rilke - we're all inspired by the following:
- We are as gods and might as well get good at it - Steve Brandt
- The world is yours - Nas
- Unrealised potential is a net loss for humanity - Reggie James
Design Journey
We co-designed our kit with displaced out-of-school children in various countries. After numerous iterations, we launched a successful Kickstarter campaign in March 2023.
Every aspect of this kit was meticulously crafted based on the feedback and requests of children themselves (our experts).
Our founder studied an MSc in Child Development at the University of Oxford and transferred all learnings on agency + self-efficacy + participatory research into the manual (thanks professor Winters and Robinson!).
Featured in...
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"33 Smart STEM Toys for the Techie Kids in Your Life: We found lots of math-filled and science-rich toys for tiny nerds to assemble, bake, squish—or even tear apart and rebuild."
Read Article -
"Ambessa Play and Pentagram's DIY flashlight kit is co-designed with displaced children for practical, educational use."
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"Beyond in-built lessons about kinetic energy and electrical components, and the emotional lessons of self-efficacy and empowerment, there is a more subtle and broader lesson for the design community – form can (and often should) follow function, but function must first follow advice from future users."
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One-for-One Model
We are driven by making effective and sustainable long term impact. We achieve this through our co-design process and 1:1 model. Our 1:1 model ensures that for every kit purchased, one is donated to a refugee child out of school.
We work with NGOs, foundations, and grassroot organisations worldwide from Terres De Hommes, the Refugee Council to Project Play. Children are our co-designers.
Our kits are tools to use based on the needs expressed by displaced children themselves. Each element is crafted with their feedback.
At the heart of Ambessa is a belief that every child, everywhere, regardless of the resources they have access to, should have the opportunity to build, learn, and play. Early exposure to tinkering and building encourages this.
