​Linking Health and Education in Early Years​
Our Story
​​After living and working in Rwanda for 18 months during 2023-4, volunteering for a well-known charity I returned to the UK feeling unsatisfied. I'd had a wonderful time. I'd fallen in love with the country and it's people. But I was not sure how useful the time spent had actually been.
I had been volunteering on an early childhood education project. But I felt that despite the good intentions and hard work of both volunteers and staff the project would have little impact. And what was more, what little impact it did have was very likely to fade quickly. I found myself wondering what could be done.
I was new to the world of NGOs, charities and overseas development, but it was clear to me that this world was changing. The era where steady streams of money was available to keep projects afloat was coming to an end. Rwanda's needs were being met in a piecemeal way with different NGOs and charities. Many running small, time bound projects. Each of these organisations had specific objectives and their projects were designed with these in mind. They didn't have the flexibility to respond to changing needs of the communities they serve.
One project running in a school may be followed hot on it's heels by another, whose objectives do not fully line up. Lessening the chances even more for anyone to make a lasting impact.
These projects all cost millions of pounds of well-meaning donors money.
I was left with lots of questions.
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If someone came back to measure the impact of a project in 10 years time would there still be anything to measure?
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How could donors money be spent more effectively?
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How could you make sure that changes could be implemented in a sustainable way?
Working during that time with over 50 government schools it was clear to me that help was needed. But I was left with the nagging thought that there must be a better way of helping.
My Experience
UK
I had come to Rwanda with 20 years experience working as a teacher and leader primary and nursery education. Latterly working as head of inclusion in a maintained nursery school which was part of a children and family centre. I could see first hand how effectively a children’s centre could work with the local community, responding to local needs and supporting outcomes for local children.
Rwanda
In Rwanda I was technical advisor to a project called ‘Let’s Learn Through Play’. It was rolled out in all districts of Rwanda and to date has provided support and mentoring for over 1,600 teachers across the country.
Whilst working for the project I provided training for all staff and volunteers on the project on child development, learning through play, coaching and mentoring, disability inclusion and observation, evaluation and planning among others.
I rewrote and oversaw the development of their edtech educational application designed for teachers to use as a stand alone learning tool.
I developed planning and observation tools for schools that supported school leaders and teachers (and the national volunteers on the project) to understand and deliver the curriculum using age appropriate and effective strategies.
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I led on disability inclusion, developing tools, training and mentoring international and national volunteers, project staff and teachers to deliver effective and appropriate support to schools.
I worked directly with teachers and headteachers of over 50 schools, and provided training to local government leaders and parents in 8 districts.
I developed a vision of what learning through play could look like in the context of the Rwandan curriculum and provided the project with a road map to achieve that vision.
