1. The Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa (OSISA) is
an African institution committed to deepening democracy
and human rights in southern Africa. OSISA’s vision is to
promote and sustain the ideals, values, institutions and
practice of open society, with the aim of establishing a
vibrant southern African society in which people, free from
material and other deprivation, understand their rights
and responsibilities and participate democratically in all
spheres of life.
The Early Childhood Development and Education Programme
is part of the broader OSISA Education Programme that seeks
to make significant improvements in the early childhood sector
in southern Africa by engaging in multi-levelled interventions
in selected countries. The overarching goal of the programme,
which is being run in collaboration with the Open Society
Foundation’s (OSF) Early Childhood Program, is to promote
access to quality early childhood development and education in
a manner that places a premium on eliminating inequalities in
current access for the most marginalised and vulnerable children.
This innovative initiative will enable sustained engagement
within at least seven countries, including Angola, Lesotho,
Malawi, Mozambique, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe
by initiating multi-layered programming that improves the
capacity of duty-bearers to realise the rights of young children
and their families. Responsibility for the implementation of
this strategy will reside jointly within the OSISA Education
Programme and the OSI Early Childhood Programme.
A Strategy for Early Childhood
Development and Education
in Southern Africa
GETTING IT RIGHT
President Place
1 Hood Avenue/148 Jan Smuts Avenue (corner Bolton)
Rosebank, Johannesburg
PO Box 678, Wits 2050, Johannesburg
Justine Ngulube JustineN@osisa.org
Tel +27 (0) 11 587 5000
Fax +27 (0) 11 587 5099
www.osisa.org

2. These objectives will be achieved through the following
support mechanisms: (i) grant-making, (ii) capacity-building,
(iii) networking and facilitation of new ideas, and (iv) advocacy,
communication campaigns, research and the production of
strategic information. Examples of which follow:
(i) Grant-making:
• Country specific core grants to anchor NGOs or government
agencies providing early childhood services. These grants
will focus on efforts to create cost effective, scalable national
models targeted at vulnerable and marginalised children.
• A catalytic fund awarding small grants for collaborative
efforts, between CSOs, private sector and the state, at
national level to support systems and policy development.
• Small grants to support local organisations to promote
parenting skills or parent advocacy and participation.
(ii) Capacity building:
• National and regional seminars for NGO and
government partners;
• Regional study tours and specialized trainings;
• Individualized technical support to NGOs and
government departments.
(iii) Networking and facilitation of new ideas:
• Early childhood networks to support the exchange of
knowledge and practices among professionals as well as
parent advocates;
• Publication and dissemination of best practices and
scientific research;
• Packaging and dissemination of resources and materials
for parents, child care services providers, educators, and
government officials.
(iv) Advocacy, information campaigns and research:
• Public awareness campaign highlighting the benefits of early
childhood interventions across the lifespan;
• Capacity gap analysis to identify the multi level training
and development needs across the range of professional
and paraprofessional service providers;
• Parental needs assessment to identify knowledge, attitudes
and practices and expectations;
• Mapping and assessment of current research capacities to
develop regional specific research agenda and a framework
for institutional capacity building support and assistance.
OBJECTIVES:
The programme focuses on young children and their families
from 0 – 3 years of age as well as those from 4 – 8 years. Both
short and long term support will be provided for interventions
designed to address the following objectives:
• Strengthen the capacity of decision makers from relevant
Ministries as well as civil society leaders to design and
implement policies and strategies that will increase the
access and availabilty of comprehensive early
childhood services;
• Raise public awareness through campaigns designed to
inform parents about the importance of early childhood and
increase their demand for quality services;
• Increase the capacity of professionals, community workers
and parents by increasing access to national and regional
training and educational opportunities;
• Enhance the capacity of research institutions to evaluate
programmes and disseminate best practices through a
coordinated research agenda; and,
• Establish national and regional networks to foster
collaboration, coordination and information exchange
between state, civil society, researchers, providers
and communities.
IT IS INDEED TIME TO ACT. We can no longer wait and
watch another cohort of young children fail to reach their
potential. Regional solutions will only emerge through
the determined efforts of practitioners and policy makers
working creatively across traditional sectors to establish
sustainable multi level partnerships. Through this initiative
OSI/ECP is committed to Getting it Right, by building
effective early childhood systems capable of reaching all
children — including those most marginalized and vulnerable
— with the services they need to survive and thrive.
For more information, contact Justine Ngulube
JustineN@osisa.org