ECD priority in future education South Sudan

Early Childhood Education (ECD) and care are receiving growing attention in South Sudan, thanks to the current role of Help a Child South Sudan as a lead and Board Chair of the National Education Coalition. However, most young children still have no access to proper education because of a lack of ECD centres.

With the privately funded Kids@Risk project, combined with UNICEF funding, Help a Child is a key player in expanding ECD services across South Sudan and one of the main organizations investing in ECD in South Sudan. Activities focus on the establishment of ECD centres, integrating Early Childhood Education, Child Protection activities, and food provision through tree planting and vegetable gardening around the ECD centres, fostering education, nutrition, and sustainability for a brighter future for South Sudan’s children.

The establishment of four highquality ECD facilities, caregiver training, and ECD child enrolment has sharpened our focus and is expected to influence our future in the years to come. Donors such as UNICEF and local authorities in underserved areas like GPAA are drawn to the proposed convergence of ECD, Parenting, and Child Protection. The high calibre of the pilot work has earned us a solid reputation and has made us the standard with regard to the importance of an inclusive approach to ECD.