LUMS Alumna Start-up Revives Play-based Learning Opportunities in Pakistan

Graduating with an MPhil Education Leadership and Management (ELM) degree from the Syed Ahsan Ali and Syed Maratib Ali School of Education in 2021, Farwa Tassaduq has earned many accolades for her educational-toy startup, One Earth Toys. Tassaduq co-founded the startup in 2018 with an intention to make long-lasting environmental impact while aiding holistic early childhood education. To this end, her company manufactures handmade wooden toys and conducts workshops for children on crafting wooden products to engage them in meaningful skill development activities. The designs of these toys are inspired by the Reggio Emilia and Waldorf education philosophies, encouraging children to engage in play-based learning by exercising their curiosity and imagination.

To grow her business through enhanced expertise in creative and experiential learning, Tassaduq pursued an MPhil ELM from LUMS. The degree helped her polish her leadership, teaching, and research skills. “The leadership course introduced me to tools that helped me explore myself as a leader and become a better decision-maker for my start-up,” she remarks. The experiential pedagogical skills that she learnt at SOE are replicated by her in the workshops she conducts, ensuring that her students emerge with a sense of accomplishment.

Tassaduq has been recognised for her contributions to children's education and environmental awareness by being named a finalist in the Business and Innovation category of the UK Alumni Award 2021 –22 in Pakistan. Moreover, her commitment to environmental education earned her the Commonwealth Scholarship Alumni Community Engagement Fund to run a virtual short course on "Understanding SDGs to Respond to Climate Change" in 2022. Initially designed for recent graduates and young professionals in environment-related fields, the course was later adapted for undergraduate students at Nur International University, where Tassaduq taught as a visiting faculty member.

Tassaduq remains actively connected to the SOE programme, regularly presenting her start-up at the annual Practicum Showcase Conference. This event provides her with opportunities to network with professionals in the education field and share the impact of her MPhil experience. She has also presented her findings at the Regional Conference on Arts and Media Education, an online event organized by SOE.

By utilising the evidence-based academic research skills acquired at SOE, evaluating the play value of toys manufactured by her start-up, and using ideation design tools, Tassaduq expertly puts theory into practise and continues to exemplify the value of education leadership.

We wish Tassaduq the best of luck as she continues to champion sustainability and enable unprecedented learning opportunities through One Earth Toys for children, parents, and teachers in Pakistan.