Education

A world with education for all

We are making progress. In Armenia, we’ve strengthened parents’ ability to better fulfill their role as first teachers and first protectors to their infants. Teachers in Malawi have been trained to help children attain basic literacy skills.

We’ve set up reading clubs so kids can practice reading outside the classroom, and made millions of books available in languages where previously no children’s books existed. In Zimbabwe, we worked with churches and communities to remove the cultural barriers that prevented girls from remaining in school.

But there’s more to be done. All children have the right to a safe, inclusive and quality education. We want all children to be educated for life, in a safe and nurturing environment, in order to lead productive and fulfilling lives.

We believe education starts on day one

Our vision for every child is life in all its fullness. A child’s story begins on day one. An infant held in loving and nurturing arms has a brighter future. We want every child protected, cared for and given the learning opportunities necessary to become all God meant them to be.

Eighty per cent of brain development happens in the first three years of life, and 90 per cent is complete by age five. It’s vital that parents are given sound information and support to help nurture and protect infants, toddlers and pre-school aged children to see them reach their full potential.

Early Childhood Development programmes are powerful equalisers for children who live in resource-poor settings, and they play an important role in breaking the intergenerational cycle of poverty. However, access to pre-primary learning opportunities is very low in many places, with only 17 per cent of children in low-income countries enrolled in such programmes.

Our Early Childhood Development programmes train parents, caregivers and community members to care for children from pregnancy through their first six years. We focus on children’s wellbeing and early learning skills, encouraging secure and stimulating home environments that recognise parents as ‘first teachers’ and set children up for life-long learning success.