NEWS: Aga Khan University launches programme to promote early childhood development in Tanzania
May 3, 2022 | 4:10 pm
©Aga Khan University By Maureen Ooko, Communications Officer, Aga Khan University Institute for Human Development.
The Aga Khan University’s Institute for Human Development (IHD) and Institute for Educational Development East Africa (IED, EA) have launched a programme that seeks to fill the prevailing gaps that hinder healthy child development.
Research shows that millions of children from Low and Middle Income Countries (LMICs) are at risk of not reaching their development potential. This is partly attributable to the lack of access to high quality services early in life.
Addressing the gaps in knowledge and skills of the Early Childhood Development (ECD) workforce and caregivers can ensure that children have access to high quality services and hence contribute to the improvement of their wellbeing.
The Evidence Based Policy, Planning, and Development – Supporting Children’s Holistic Development in Marginalized Communities programme, was launched in Tanzania following a successful launch of the same in Kenya.
This programme will provide a platform for caregivers, early childhood development workers, policy makers and practitioners to gain knowledge and insights towards promoting Early Childhood Development, ECD.
Established through generous funding from Hilton Foundation, it will focus on the most disadvantaged communities in Kenya and Tanzania.
“In selecting the work we want to do with this project, one of the things that we have really focused on is how we can ensure that children in marginalized communities receive quality care. How we can train the workforce serving children to have the right skills and expertise and learn from each other’s’ experiences to improve the quality of services that we provide to children,” said Prof Amina Abubakar, IHD Director.
The ECD workforce will benefit from professional development courses so as to deliver effective care and services. The programme will also provide advisory to government on priority investments that should be implemented to advance holistic child development.
A research project will also be implemented to generate data and evidence from the community to support responsive policy and programme development as well as develop child-focused interventions.
“Through this initiative, the ECD Workforce will gain insights drawing from research conducted at the grassroots level on the best practices they can adopt to ensure that our children receive the quality care they need,” said Dr Jane Rarieya, Associate Professor & Dean at IED, EA.
Additionally, the initiative will provide a platform for ECD stakeholders to share their insights and learn from each other through interactive webinars. The public will also have free access to information on best practices they can adopt to promote quality childcare.
IHD hosts the ECD Workforce Hub which will roll out the programme. It builds on previous work undertaken by the Institute since its inception in 2014 through its Hilton Phase I and II projects, World Bank Early Years Fellowship project and the UNICEF/LEGO Foundation Scaling Up Playful Parenting Project.