Master of Early Child Development (MECD)

📣 Opportunity Alert for ECD Professionals!

Early Child Development (ECD) is a critically important field, with investment in ECD recognized as both a moral imperative and a strategic pathway towards achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Addressing the need for building human resource capacity, Aga Khan University – Human Development Programme (AKU-HDP) is offering a graduate program in ECD designed to equip professionals with a comprehensive range of integrated knowledge and skills to enhance their practices. The MECD program will prepare students through a multidisciplinary, blended approach encompassing education, service, and research. By creating an advanced knowledge base, the program aims to strengthen human resource capacity and promote increased investment in ECD.

2025: Africa conference on childcare

The African Union Commission (AUC) in collaboration with the African Early Childhood Network (AfECN) is  co- convening the Continental Childcare Conference , to be held in Addis Ababa 18th -20th June 2025, under the theme Building Partnerships for Accelerating Action towards Quality & Inclusive Childcare in Africa.

First meeting of Early Childhood Development (ECD) experts in the East African Community (EAC)

The EAC recognizes Early Childhood Development as a critical foundation for human capital development, economic growth, and social equity, aligning with Article 120(c) of the EAC Treaty and the EAC Child Policy (2016). Despite progress, many children under five in the region lack access to quality ECD services. This meeting aimed to consolidate regional efforts, address cross-cutting challenges, harmonize guidelines and validate strategic priorities towards a comprehensive Regional ECD Policy and Action plan, building global commitments like the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 4.2) and the Nurturing Care Framework.

ECSA-HC responsive caregiving experts’ committee meeting 2025 and learning visit in Zambia

Following a successful 2024 experts meeting held in the sidelines of the East Africa ECD Conference March 2024 in Dar-es-Salaam Tanzania. Among other activities it was proposed by members to consider having some cross-country learning as part of the activities of the experts’ committee. We identified Zambia to share lessons of their community based ECD program Insaka, based on the presentation done during the Health Ministers conference in June 2024 and was further presented at the virtual quarterly meeting in October 2024. Such best practices are aimed to improve outcomes for the region’s children by supporting the effort on the implementation of the Nurturing Care Framework, particularly the responsive caregiving component across the east, central and southern Africa region.

Blog: Tackling learning poverty in Africa: building collaborative partnerships to scale-up early learning assessments in west and central Africa region.

Author:  KIX Early Learning Assessment Project Coordination Team

Institution: Africa Early Childhood Network

Access to inclusive and equitable quality education is key to promoting better human capital outcomes, as it leads to accumulation of knowledge and skills needed for socio-economic development of a country. Indeed, when children access quality education measured by better learning outcomes, it builds their capacities in ways that not only contributes to their personal success but also leads to better social wellbeing and productivity. The need for quality education for all children is acknowledged in global and regional frameworks including Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), and Africa Agenda 2063. For example, while SDG 4 recognizes the need to provide quality education for all with as special focus on most vulnerable populations, Agenda 2063[1] identifies provision of quality education focused on achieving 100% literacy and numeracy as a key driver to Africa’s prosperity. The agenda calls for universal access to quality early childhood, primary and secondary education, ensuring that no child is left behind, and that the potential of every child is nurtured (Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want).[2]

[1] A blueprint and master plan for transforming Africa into the global powerhouse of the future.

[2] https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-d&q=Agenda+2063

Launch of the compendium of African initiatives to support parents & caregivers of adolescents and young children.

The compendium of African initiatives to support parents and caregivers has a lot to offer for policy and decision-makers, as well as development partners, civil society organisations and implementing organisations.

Request for Proposals (RFP): Website Upgrade for the African Early Childhood Network (AfECN)

Request for Proposals (RFP): Website Upgrade for the African Early Childhood Network (AfECN) 

Issued by: African Early Childhood Network (AfECN) 

Date: 20 February 2025 

Submission Deadline: 7 March 2025

The African Early Childhood Network (AfECN) invites qualified vendors to submit proposals for the redesign and upgrade of its website. This project aims to enhance AfECN’s communication infrastructure to better serve its mission of advocating for equitable Early Childhood Development (ECD) policies and programs across Africa. The new website seeks to improve user experience and integrate new features including a central hub for knowledge sharing and enhanced stakeholder engagement.

Submit proposals electronically to careers@afecn.org by 7 March 2025.

JOB OPPORTUNITY: RESEARCH, MONITORING EVALUATION AND LEARNING MANAGER

As AfECN continues to expand its impact, effective monitoring and evaluation (M&E) of its projects and initiatives it is critical in assessing progress, understanding outcomes, and ensuring that evidence is used to shape policies and practices.

Purpose of the Role: The Research Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Manager will play a key role in supporting this goal by designing, implementing, and managing a robust M&E framework that tracks the effectiveness of AfECN’s initiatives and guides organizational learning.

Welcome to the PATH Early Childhood Development Knowledge Hub

From 2012 to 2024, PATH and the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation partnered to support the Ministries of Health in Mozambique and Kenya to design and pilot health system interventions that promote optimal development for the youngest children.

Along that journey other partners and donors joined this endeavour, and Mozambique and Kenya became learning hubs for promoting early childhood development in the health sector. Ethiopia, Zambia, Tanzania, Ivory Coast, and Malawi have subsequently adapted materials and approaches tried and tested in Mozambique and Kenya to their context.

OPPORTUNITY: RESOURCE MOBILIZATION CONSULTANT

The Resource Mobilization Consultant (RMC) will be responsible for the development and capacity building to support implementation of AfECN’s fundraising strategy. The RMC will support establishment of systems to support overall coordination, planning, development, and management of a public and private sector fundraising strategy to mobilize resources and support accountability and transparent reporting.