€2.6 million innovation challenge launches in Sub-Saharan Africa to reimagine support for new parents

LONDON, May 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Smart, public 'parent pods' located in central community spaces such as markets or parks could soon become a reality around the world as a result of the Good Start Challenge: a €2.6 million global challenge launching today with a call for innovations that improve the wellbeing of parents of young children in underserved communities in Sub-Saharan Africa.

The Good Start Challenge, which is also launching in Southeast Asia and Latin America, was initiated by Van Leer Foundation and is supported by FEMSA Foundation, Fundaçāo Maria Cecilia Souto Vidigal, and LEGO Foundation. It is designed and delivered by global challenge prize expert, Challenge Works.

While becoming a parent is a time of joy, it is also a period of significant change and vulnerability, where many need support for their mental, social and physical wellbeing.

Despite this, communities across Sub-Saharan Africa lack access to effective interventions that champion their wellbeing. Research has found that in Uganda 28% of parents experience depression due to limited social support – among other factors.

Tarek Alami, VP – Head of International Programmes, the LEGO Foundation, said: "Parental wellbeing in Sub-Saharan Africa is deeply affected by economic hardship, conflict and displacement. Investing in playful, creative and socially engaging support systems is essential—not only to support parents in coping with stress and trauma, but also to provide children with the opportunity to thrive and develop towards realising their full potential and contributing to the transformation of society."

While initiatives for supporting parental wellbeing have started to emerge across the globe, more are needed. According to WHO, just a quarter (26%) of governments rate their funding of parent support programmes as sufficient to reach all those in need, despite there being an estimated 500 million parents of children under the age of five worldwide. 

Growing evidence also indicates that new parents experience vast biological and neurological changes, which, combined with increasing pressures such as work and childcare commitments, present challenges – especially for those already living in vulnerable circumstances. 

The Good Start Challenge is therefore a call for simple yet radical ideas that support the wellbeing of parents and caregivers faced with pre-existing obstacles that make it even harder to access resources. Investing in these ideas will not only bolster parent wellbeing, but society as a whole.

Rushda Majeed, Chief Programme Officer at Van Leer Foundation, said: "When a child is born, a parent is also born. We know that a good start for children shapes the rest of their lives. This challenge is asking society to think about a good start for parents. At Van Leer we believe it's critical to listen to their voices, and work together to shape a powerful and purposeful evolution in the way in which parents and other caregivers are supported. Advancing a global conversation about the importance of parental wellbeing will have a clear, transformative knock-on effect, as healthy and happy parents lay the foundations for their children to lead fulfilling lives and make positive contributions to society."

Innovations such as 'parent pods' would offer welcoming spaces for new parents to take a moment while accessing amenities and forming connections with other local parents, as well as tapping into an AI-powered network of local support services such as counselling and other benefits.

This is one example of a creative solution that could act as a lifeline for parents, enabling them to feel welcomed by society rather than just having to fit in.

Kathy Nothstine, Director of Cities and Societies, Challenge Works, said: "This challenge is about accelerating innovation to reimagine how we can care for parents – something that has been overlooked in the past. This need is particularly acute in underserved communities. Given that parents come into contact with so many services and individuals on a daily basis, this challenge invites creative and impactful solutions from any sector.

"Society is on the brink of a vital and meaningful shift in how we understand, support and prioritise parents, and this challenge will identify innovations that can put this into practice."

With specific focus on nine countries in Southeast Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America, the challenge is designed to address common difficulties experienced by parents in those communities.

In November 2025, up to 22 finalists will be chosen and awarded €50,000 each, alongside support for scaling. In July 2026, up to six winners will each be awarded €200,000.

To find out more about the Good Start Challenge, please visit the website. Applications close on 17 September 2025.