DUBAI: EYWA by R.Evolution and Friendly Early Childhood Center have launched Longevity Starts From Childhood, a new Dubai initiative exploring how the foundations of lifelong health and wellbeing can be shaped from the earliest years.
The partnership brings together EYWA, an ultra-luxury residential ecosystem built around longevity and wellbeing, and Friendly Early Childhood Center, one of Dubai’s most premium and innovation-led early childhood centres.
Together, the partners will develop children’s spaces, educational experiences and a programme for families focused on the relationship between childhood development and the environments in which children live, learn and grow.
The collaboration is closely aligned with the UAE’s growing focus on family wellbeing and early childhood development. The Year of the Family 2026 places the family at the centre of building strong future generations, while the Dubai Quality of Life Strategy 2033 identifies children among its priority groups and brings together initiatives across health, education, society and family.
Longevity starts earlier than we think
“Longevity is often discussed as something we begin thinking about as adults. But the science tells us that some of the most important foundations are established much earlier,” said Irina Baikova, Co-Founder, Friendly Nursery Early Childhood Center. “According to the World Health Organization, around 80% of a child’s brain is formed by the age of three, while every USD 1 invested in early childhood development interventions can generate returns of up to USD 13. The early years are an extraordinary window of opportunity. Our partnership with EYWA is about connecting what happens in early childhood education with the environment a child returns to every day: the home.”
Bringing the philosophy into the home
Under the partnership, Friendly Early Childhood Center will become EYWA’s early childhood development partner for the creation and curation of Kids Clubs at both EYWA Tree of Life and EYWA Way of Water in Business Bay.
The partners will explore how factors including air and water quality, natural light, acoustics, hygiene, movement, learning and healthy routines can be incorporated into spaces created specifically for children.
Rather than approaching a Kids Club simply as another residential amenity, EYWA and Friendly Early Childhood Center will consider how the space itself can support the way children play, learn, socialise and develop.
For Alex Zagrebelny, Founder and CEO of Eywa by R.Evolution, the idea also has a personal origin.
“EYWA began with a question: can the place where we spend most of our lives actually help us live better? For me, that question became very personal. After introducing at home several of the environmental principles that we have incorporated into EYWA, I saw noticeable changes in my own child’s focus, concentration and memory. This is my experience as a father, not a medical claim, but it completely changed the way I looked at homes,” said Alex. “A home is not just where a child grows up. It is one of the earliest environments shaping their habits and behavior. If we are serious about longevity, we have to start thinking about that much earlier.”
From partnership to family programme
The initiative will move into a series of activations from September through November 2026, with EYWA and Friendly Early Childhood Center planning events and experiences for both parents and children.
The programme will explore in an accessible and practical way how health and the surrounding environment interact with childhood development and education from sleep, air, water, light and movement to the role of the home itself.
The first activations will begin in September, followed by a joint event at Friendly Early Childhood Center in October and further parent-and-child experiences in November. Families will also have the opportunity to visit EYWA Tree of Life and experience how longevity and wellbeing principles are translated into a residential environment.
The partnership forms part of R.Evolution and EYWA’s broader work in longevity and wellbeing, extending the conversation beyond adult wellness to the environments and habits that shape health, development and quality of life from childhood.
Through Longevity Starts From Childhood, EYWA and Friendly Early Childhood Center aim to translate these principles into everyday life connecting the places where children learn with the places where they live.
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