Early Childhood Education

Aga Khan Foundation U.S.A. (AKF USA) has improved early childhood education in Kenya and educated hundreds of communities through the Education for Marginalized Children in Kenya (EMACK) project. Started in 2006 and funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and AKF USA, the project focuses on improving learning of primary school children for the transition to upper elementary grades. The project interventions promote quality learning and teaching in particularly poor regions of Kenya, as well as its growing informal settlements. Extending AKF’s decades of investment in education in East Africa, the program encourages increased parental involvement, builds and provides educational resources, and makes education accessible to the most vulnerable children in society.

Quality Education for Marginalized Groups in Kenya

With $17.8 million in grants from USAID supplemented by additional funding from AKF USA for a total investment of $20 million, EMACK has reached more schools, including schools in informal settlements at the edges of Kenya’s major cities. In eight years, EMACK has extended and improved school opportunities for over 500,000 children in 935 pre-primary and primary schools across three regions (Coastal Province, Northeast Province and Nairobi). Nearly half are girls.

The overall goal of EMACK’s second phase is to enhance equitable access and improve learning outcomes in Kiswahili, English and mathematics for children in primary grades. The project rolled out a student-centered methodology that transforms pedagogical practices to enhance pupils’ early grade literacy and mathematic skills.

A Supportive Network for Teachers

The major components of the program include teacher training, teacher mentoring and support, provision of early-grade appropriate books and reading materials. Also, EMACK trains and supports a cadre of trainers and Kenyan education officials who strive to strengthen the government-established cluster approach by applying a model of reflective practice, which brings education practitioners together frequently to share and assess their newly learned techniques.

Learn more about this project here.