The document discusses the Early Childhood Development and Education (ECDE) program in Southern Africa run as a partnership between OSISA and the Early Childhood Program. It provides background on the poor state of ECDE in the region and the goals of their 2010-2014 strategy called "Getting It Right" to improve access to quality ECDE. It outlines successes of this strategy and plans for their 2015-2018 joint strategy to continue improving access and quality of ECDE, strengthening advocacy networks, and investing in training to benefit marginalized children in the region.

1. The Early Childhood Development
and Education (ECDE) programme in
Southern Africa: a partnership
between OSISA and the Early
Childhood Program

2. Early Childhood Development and
Education (ECDE) in Southern Africa
• Sub Saharan Africa is a region with the highest rates of absolute
child poverty in the world: more than 80 percent are severely
deprived of one or more basic needs.
• Health statistics reflect the dire state of children’s prospects for
survival and development in the region with half a million new
born children dying within 28 days; 1.7 million children dying
before the age of 5 in addition to 45% of children being stunted
and 23% being underweight.
• Access to the full range of quality ECDE services is therefore vital
if outcomes for children are to be improved, yet as a general
rule, the most disadvantaged and marginalised households,
mothers and children are least likely to access quality service.

3. ECDE in Southern Africa
The poor state of ECDE in Southern Africa is a result of a number
of factors including:
• difficulties of inter-sectoral co-ordination, underpinned
by lack of political will;
• weak policy and legal frameworks;
• lack of, or poor use of, financial resources;
• poor quality of services;
• exclusion of some populations and limited demand for
quality services
• and a lack of coordination and the narrow
conceptualization of the sector.

4. GETTING IT RIGHT: A Strategy for ECDE in
Southern Africa (2010 – 2014/15)
• The Getting it Right strategy (2010 – 2014/15) was delivered by
OSISA and the Early Childhood Program with an annual budget of
approximately $1.5 million per year.
• It sought to make significant improvements in the early childhood
sector by engaging in multi-levelled interventions in selected
countries, including Angola, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique,
Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
• The overarching goal was to promote access to quality ECDE,
placing a premium on eliminating inequalities in access for the most
marginalised and vulnerable children.
• It focused on the youngest children from 0 – 3 years of age as well
as those aged 4 years and beyond and seeks to improve access to
and quality of ECDE, strengthen civil society and raise public
awareness.

5. Key Successes – some examples
• Development of ECDE teachers’ guides endorsed by the Ministry of
Education in Swaziland
• Profiling of ECDE as a policy agenda through interventions by our grantees –
in Zambia via a pre-election advocacy campaign and in Malawi
• Policy level interventions – in Lesotho through working with UNICEF
• Community interventions aimed at improving the quality of ECDE
programmes profiled nationally - Mozambique
• Capacity building of our partners, advocacy,
research, M&E (development of ECDE leaders in
partnership with World Forum Foundation)
• Review of resourcing in schools when Zimbabwe
introduced grade 0
• Research on parental attitudes, practices, behaviours and on access to
holistic ECDE services (in partnership with HSRC)
• Enhanced collaboration and coordination by bringing ECDE actors together
including formation of networks e.g. Zimbabwe, Swaziland

6. Next Steps
• The Getting it Right strategy concludes in 2014/15.
• Objectives for ECP and OSISA joint strategy in 2015 – 2018 –
building on Getting It Right:
- Increased access to ECDE for all groups
especially children who are excluded
- Improved quality through training &
curriculum support
- Capacity of state and non-state actors
strengthened to advocate for and/or deliver quality ECDE

7. 2015 - 2018 Strategy Focus
1. To support pilot interventions that inform policy and
practice to increase access for children who are excluded
(with a focus on children with disabilities and those
under the age of 3)
2. To strengthen the voice and visibility of ECD practitioners,
civil society groups, policy makers, advocates and
researchers by building/reinforcing vibrant national
networks linked to an over-arching regional network to
improve quality.
3. To improve the quality of services for young children and
their families through building the capacity of selected
training and academic institutions and individuals through
research and materials development

8. 2015 - 2018 Strategy Focus (cont.)
• To improve investment in early childhood services through
stimulating supply by convening development partners and
governments to explore financing of ECD services and
stimulating demand by mobilising parents’ and other civil
society groups to monitor national and local ECD budgets and
expenditure.
• Support for policy development and implementation for
comprehensive services for young children.
The countries of focus will remain Lesotho, Malawi,
Mozambique, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe, whilst
remaining open to possibilities of work in Angola, DRC, Namibia
and Madagascar.

9. Outcomes
Improved access to quality ECDE services for the most
marginalised and vulnerable children through:
• Pilots developed for marginalised children (including
under-threes home visiting and children with disabilities)
with the aim of influencing national practice and policy
• National networks established and links to regional
networks supported
• New training approaches introduced with core partners
• Financing studies undertaken leading to advocacy for
increased investment
• National policy development and
implementation supported.

10. Areas of Collaboration
• Build on partnerships with other funders such as Elma
Philanthropies, UNICEF, UNESCO, the World Bank, Roger
Federer Foundation, Africa Network on ECD(AfECN), Africa
Network Campaign for Education for All (ANCEFA), Global
Campaign for Education (GCE) and others
• Stay connected to existing grantees where appropriate but
find new partners where possible