Early Childhood Development
Strong Starts, Lifelong Impact
The earliest years of a child’s life are not just the beginning—they are the blueprint. From conception through age eight, a child’s brain forms connections at a rate never matched again. These moments shape a lifetime of health, learning, relationships, and resilience. But for too many children, this crucial window is missed due to poverty, malnutrition, neglect, and a lack of responsive care.
That’s why Early Childhood Development (ECD) is at the heart of our work—because when we invest in the beginning, we change everything that comes after
Our Approach
We deliver holistic support during the critical first 1,000 days and beyond, reaching children, parents, and caregivers with what they need to build strong foundations for life. From maternal health and nutrition to early learning and responsive care, we create nurturing environments where young children can not only survive but truly thrive.
Our interventions include:
Empowering parents and caregivers with knowledge, skills, and encouragement to nurture their children’s development
Promoting responsive caregiving, play-based learning, and early stimulation from birth
Ensuring child and maternal health and nutrition, especially during pregnancy and infancy
Supporting caregivers’ wellbeing, recognising that healthy parents build healthy children
Strengthening community systems and government services to deliver sustainable support for early childhood
Through locally adapted, evidence-based models, we work hand-in-hand with families, health workers, educators, and policymakers to build environments where young children don’t just survive—they thrive.
Impact So Far
- Millions of caregivers trained in responsive, nurturing care
- Improved nutrition and health outcomes for children under five
- Expanded access to early learning opportunities through parenting peer groups, community centres and home visits
- Strengthened ECD services, policies and systems at local and national levels
- Greater gender equity, as caregiving roles shift, and women gain voice in decisions about child and family wellbeing
Project Locations
Our Early Childhood Development initiatives are active in communities across East and West Africa, including Kenya, Tanzania, and Cote d Ivoire
Projects
Kenya: Kuimarisha
Tanzania: Strengthening ECD capacity of grassroots organizations
Cote d Ivoire:Transforming Education in Cocoa Communities (TRECC)
Partners
We work alongside local and national governments, local NGOs, early childhood experts, community leaders, and global development partners to scale what works and sustain what matters.
Supported by:
Let’s give every child the strongest start.
Partner with us to make early years a global priority—because brighter futures begin at the very beginning.