These are some of the findings of a study of community-based ECD initiatives in rural Malawi, Tanzania, and Zambia. It was facilitated by the Firelight Foundation and published in an article in the Gulf Education and Social Policy Review entitled: “Everyone Wins: Stakeholders’ Perceived Benefits of Community-driven ECD Initiatives to Improve the Well-being of Children, Families, and Communities in Malawi, Tanzania, and Zambia”.

The authors are Given Hapunda, Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Zambia, and our Firelight Foundation colleagues, Ronald Kimambo and Kevin Obura.

Their article details how community-led ECD programs broadly benefit children, parents, and communities by:

·      supporting children’s cognitive, physical, language, and socio-emotional development, improving school readiness and academic outcomes;

·      easing caregiving burdens, strengthening family relationships, and improving the mental and emotional well-being of mothers through positive parenting practices;

·      incorporating health and nutrition support and reducing food insecurity;

·      fostering economic inclusion by facilitating parental employment, especially for women;

·      strengthening community capacity by serving as a platform for social cohesion and collective responsibility and action for child well-being.

The authors write: "In conclusion, this study shows 'everyone wins' when we invest in ECD programs because the benefits extend beyond children, offering substantial social and economic returns on investment."

The article can be found at this link on the journal's website.

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The authors thank the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, Comic Relief, and the Bainum Family Foundation for supporting this kind of community-driven work.

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Citation:

Hapunda G, Kimambo R, Obura K (2026). Everyone Wins: Stakeholders’ Perceived Benefits of Community-driven ECD Initiative to Improve the Well-being of Children, Families, and Communities in Malawi, Tanzania, and Zambia. Gulf Education and Social Policy Review, 7(1), 137–165. https://doi.org/10.18502/gespr.v7i1.19417

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