“I love being among those who give children a solid start in life”: the teacher training opportunities strengthening early childhood development in coastal Kenya

Despite the progress made towards improving early childhood development (ECD), children in Kenya face persistent obstacles to accessing quality, structured learning during their foundational years. One of the key challenges within Early Childhood Development and Education (ECDE) in Kenya is the lack of training and professional development opportunities for pre-primary teachers. Without enough qualified, skilled teachers, how can we expect children to have a solid foundation for life-long learning? 

In response to this, the Madrasa Early Childhood Programme (MECP) in Kenya, an affiliate of the Aga Khan Foundation, has been supporting early years teachers to grow and solidify their knowledge, skills and values through professional training in ECD teaching for nearly four decades. Through a new scholarship scheme, MECP has enabled both new and practicing teachers to access two-year ECD certificate and diploma courses who may otherwise not have had the resources to enroll in formal training. Through this government-recognised course, ECD teachers gain real-life experience through internships, learn how to develop low-cost and locally available learning resources, integrate ICT into teaching, and access mentorship and support systems. MECP also offered short courses to practicing teachers in 67 schools which the organisation works with in Kenya’s coastal region.

Since this initiative launched in 2018, a total of 93 teachers have received their academic certificate or diploma in ECD, reaching approximately 4,000 children in schools across Kenya. Nearly 120 teachers enrolled on the short courses, reaching a further 4,400 children aged 4-5 years. Since participating in the training, the teachers have formed a network through WhatsApp groups which serve as a platform to share their experiences, learn from one another and pass on useful information and updates.

Rahma Abdulrahman, Mohamed Rashid Mwamoyo, Fatma Yusuf, and Felix Lore are just four of the hundreds of teachers who have taken part in MECP’s training – read their inspiring stories below:

Realising ambitions: Rahma Abdulrahman

Rahma Abdulrahman is a teacher by profession and graduated with a certificate in ECD Teacher Education in April 2022. At the moment, she is teaching in a community preschool in Mombasa.

Her passion for teaching started with her father, who was also a teacher. She admired his commitment to helping young children succeed. Sadly, he passed away when she was a child, and she wasn’t sure if her ambitions to become a teacher would be realised now that her mentor was no longer around. When she graduated from high school, she couldn’t afford to train as a teacher so joined computer classes instead.

In 2019, Rahma learnt about MECP’s scholarship programme. She applied and was selected – finally she could realise her dream of becoming a teacher. Through her training, Rahma has gained the knowledge, skills and attitudes to support pluralistic, gender responsive, and holistic teaching and learning. She loves working with young children and helping them realise their full potential, just like she has been able to do through MECP’s training.

A journey to success: Mohamed Rashid Mwamoyo

38-year-old Mohamed Rashid Mwamoyo is a husband, father and teacher from Ukunda town, south of Mombasa. When he was a teenager, he was orphaned. From an early age, he’s been passionate about becoming a teacher but without family to support him, his journey was marred with uncertainty. When he married and became a father, his priority was providing for his family and whilst he did find a job in teaching, he hadn’t had any formal training and wanted to progress his skills.

In 2019, he enrolled in MECP’s ECD certificate training. The decision wasn’t an easy one to make – typically, teaching young children is considered a woman’s responsibility, and he had to convince his family and community that pre-primary teaching was the right career for him.

Mohamed graduated in April 2022 and is now teaching in a government school in Mombasa. He’s showing notable improvement in his classroom practice and organisational skills. Mohamed further applies the knowledge, skills and attitudes within his own family and local community.  He is proud to be one of just a handful of male ECD teachers in the region and hopes to inspire other men to follow in his footsteps.

Every dream is valid: Fatma Yusuf

Among the graduates of MECP’s training in 2022 is Fatma Yusuf. At 40 years old, she is a single mother of five children. Prior to her course, she taught in various local schools but without having had any formal training. As the only bread winner, Fatma pushed aside her thoughts of further education for many years – she understood too well what it could mean for her family financially.

When Fatma first heard about MECP’s diploma course, she assumed she wouldn’t be able to afford it, but after encouragement from her family and friends, she enrolled and was given a place on the scholarship scheme.

Throughout her training, Fatma received a lot of support from the teaching staff which enabled her to excel in her classes whilst also balancing her family responsibilities. Even when COVID-19 struck, MECP ensured that its trainees were able to continue learning through online courses, which meant that Fatma could complete her training as planned. According to Fatma, MECP has helped her to achieve what she thought was a mere dream.

Against all odds: Felix Lore

Felix Lore completed his high school education in 2015 and having been orphaned at an early age, he thought that pursuing further education was unrealistic – he needed to find a part time job that would enable him to support his younger siblings. His first breakthrough came a year after graduating, when he got an opportunity to work at a local school as a teacher. He really enjoyed what he was doing, however his lack of formal training jeopardised efforts to perform at a higher level.

In 2019, Felix heard about MECP’s scholarship scheme and applied for a diploma in ECD education. While he was excited about his scholarship, he knew that it would require a lot of dedication as he still needed to continue with work to make ends meet. On top of this, ECD is viewed as a sector that is only favorable for women so, Felix had to combat the stereotype, particularly from family and friends. Felix knew that his passion in early years education, so he confidently embarked on the 2-year journey.

When asked about his journey he explains, “During my two years course I realised that being a teacher is not just about sharing information – it requires a lot of prior preparation and skill. I learnt how to develop professional records, how to deliver lessons, and most crucially, I learnt about the importance of early years education which has given me the assurance that I made the right choice. I love being among those who give children a solid start in life.”

During his studies, Felix also learnt how to train other teachers. So far, Felix has emerged a confident and competent trainer. He recently supported the programme in offering short capacity building sessions for peers.

“I learnt how to develop professional records, how to deliver lessons, and most crucially, I learnt about the importance of early years education which has given me the assurance that I made the right choice. I love being among those who give children a solid start in life.”

Felix Lore – ECD teacher

During his studies, Felix also learnt how to train other teachers. So far, Felix has emerged a confident and competent trainer. He recently supported the programme in offering short capacity building sessions for peers.

The Madrasa Early Childhood Programme (MECP) – an affiliate of the Aga Khan Foundation – was founded in Mombasa, Kenya in 1986 and expanded to Tanzania and Uganda in 1991 and 1993 respectively. MECP works in partnership with under-privileged communities, civil society organisations, national and county governments to support pluralistic, gender responsive, and holistic ECD services benefiting girls and boys aged 0-8 years. To date, over 4,000 ECD teachers have graduated from MECP’s professional development courses and directly benefited more than 300,000 boys and girls through improved ECD services in approximately 1,000 centres in the Coast region of Kenya.

This article was co-written by Adan Abdirahim Boya (Principal at MECP’s Teacher Training Institute) and Kerensa Keevill (Digital Content and Communications Officer at AKF UK).