IMPORTANCE OF PLAYPLAY2LEARN
At The Opentree Foundation (TOF), we’ve always believed that the work of building happier, healthier childhoods cannot be done alone. It takes deep partnerships, collective vision, and people who believe, not just from afar, but who show up, sit beside us, and walk the journey with us. One such person is David Millary.
David has been a long-time friend and supporter of TOF for over six years. Earlier this month, he made a special three-day visit to India with a focused goal: to co-work with our team and help us plan more effectively, as we scale our work to reach 1 million children with play by 2030.
From day one, David’s energy was rooted in genuine connection. At our office in Mumbai, he spent time co-working with the team, not just advising, but actively engaging with the realities, ideas, and systems behind our work. He spoke to the larger team about why play matters and why what TOF does is critical. “Children never start from zero,” he shared. “Every child has a spark in them. Children TOF is working with, every one of them has something unique to offer the world.”
David also visited a play session at the Mumbai Public School, where Class 5 students were playing games that help build skills of communication and critical thinking. He joined the children in a round of Guess Who, admiring the strategies they used and the joy with which they played. He later spoke with the class teacher, who shared how useful TOF’s play sessions are, especially on busier days. The school’s principal echoed her thoughts, saying that in the past three years of partnering with TOF, the presence of play has built visible camaraderie and teamwork among the students, even when TOF facilitators aren’t around.
The visit culminated in our TOF Circle: Vision and Connection evening, an intimate gathering of our long-time supporters. Together, we reflected on our journey so far and discussed where we hope to take the power of play in the years ahead. David’s voice in the room grounded us, reminding everyone of the human connections behind the mission.
We are deeply grateful to David for taking the time to visit us, for working alongside us, listening to us, and cheering us on. In a world where many causes compete for attention, it means so much when someone chooses to stand with you, not just in words, but in presence.
David’s visit was a moment of reflection, motivation, and alignment. It reminded us that we are not alone in this mission to make play a right, not a privilege. And for that, we are truly thankful.
