Promote quality early childhood services in Malawi through curriculum development, training and research

The program was designed to:
a. Design Early childhood development curriculums for early childhood practitioners at certificate, diploma and degree levels.
b. Train undergraduate students and practitioners in early childhood development at certificate, diploma and degree levels. c. Conduct research in Early childhood to promote evidence based practices and influence policy in Early childhood.

The target group includes: parents, caregivers, pre-school teachers and administrators, early childhood development officers, project coordinators, undergraduate students in Malawi and international level.

Duration: The basic certificate was awarded in in 2018, 2022 and 2023. to about 300 preschool teachers and parents in a two weeks training. Diploma level started in 2015 and about 1200 people have acquired a diploma. Degree started in 2018 and about 400 people have acquired degree in Early childhood development.

Outcomes a. Increased numbers of enrollment and graduates every year b. Increased partnerships with government and NGOs implementing ECED who use qualified students from our institution to support implementation of their projects. For example: Ministry of Gender and Social Welfare, Youth Net and Counselling (YONECO), Help a Child Malawi, Early Childhood Development Coalition, Livingstonia Synod and many other organizations. b. ECD students have created early childhood centers and are employing other people c. Increased awareness of Early childhood in Malawi d. Other institutions learning from Malawi Assemblies of God Universities curriculum which has opened chances for other people to access quality training in Early childhood education.

Lessons learnt: a. Early Childhood Education is a growing field and require trained individuals to manage children and handle children services. b. Collaborations promote quality and learning. c. A need to create more opportunities for employment because some graduates are not absorbed in the labour market. d. Advocate for increase funding for foundational learning to professionalize early childhood education and development. d. A need for curriculum review to align our curriculum with Early Childhood Education to provide more knowledge and skills on foundational learning, classroom management and teaching skills to preschool and primary school teachers.