Our story
The Bushbabies Playgroup was born from a parent’s own experience. In 1996, our founder, Alka, felt that Dar es Salaam offered limited early-childhood options for her children. Rather than accept the status quo, she set about creating the setting she wished had existed – a warm, stimulating, play-based environment grounded in the best of international early childhood practice.
That commitment to excellence led her to the United Kingdom, where she completed her Certificate and Diploma in Early Years Education and later earned her degree in Early Childhood Education from the University of Dundee. Alka combines those qualifications, professional experience, and a deeply personal understanding of what families need to accomplish her vision. The Bushbabies Playgroup represents thirty years of her work. Bushbabies has grown into one of Dar es Salaam’s most respected early years settings, a place where generations of families have entrusted us with their children’s first and most formative learning experiences.
Our team
We believe that the quality of early education is shaped by the people who deliver it. That is why we are immensely proud of our team: experienced, qualified professionals who share a genuine passion for working with young children.
Our staff hold qualifications, including degrees in Early Years Education and internationally recognised Montessori diplomas. Many of our team members have been with Bushbabies for over sixteen years, which speaks to the strength of our community and the deep commitment to and fulfilment in the work our team does each day.
Every member of our team is committed to ongoing professional development, ensuring that our practice remains evidence-based and responsive to developments in early childhood education.
A homely environment
Bushbabies is intentionally small. We believe that a smaller setting, with the right adult-to-child ratios (1:5 for the early years and 1:7 for Reception and Year 1), enables us to offer something unique: an environment where every child is truly known, listened to, and supported as an individual.
Our setting feels like a second home – warm, welcoming, and designed with young children at its heart. Inside, you will find carefully organised learning areas stocked with high-quality, open-ended resources that children can access independently or through guided activities. We invest significant time and thought into our resources and environments, regularly refreshing and reimagining them to keep them as engaging as possible.
Outside, our garden and outdoor spaces offer endless opportunities for physical play, nature exploration, and the sensory-rich experiences that simply cannot happen indoors. We make full use of Dar es Salaam’s wonderful climate, ensuring children spend generous amounts of time outdoors each day – planting, building, running, and discovering the natural world around them.
Our values
Everything we do at Bushbabies is guided by a simple set of beliefs: that every child is unique and capable; that learning should be joyful and play-based; and that a warm, respectful community is the foundation on which great education is built.
We are not merely preparing children for the next stage of school. We are helping them build the confidence, curiosity, and love of learning that will sustain them throughout life.