Educating Children and Caregivers

Working with parents, educators and government agencies, AKDN aims to provide families the means by which they can improve the developmental and learning outcomes of their children during their formative years. It promotes the importance of early childhood development (ECD) through education on health and nutrition and access to health services and early learning programmes.

The Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) introduced ECD and preschool models to the Ministry of Education and other key partners, including community-based preschools and libraries. In 2020, these programmes reached 19,500 children and their families. AKF also conducts parent education training sessions and organises reading days for parents, and in 2020 worked with 19,300 parents and caregivers on these two initiatives.

In 2021, AKF began working with communities to establish 33 community-based preschools and 33 community libraries. Nearly 1,500 children aged 4-6 (50 percent girls) and 3,960 parents will benefit from these preschool centres.

The Aga Khan Health Services (AKHS) will create reading and play corners in health facilities, and train and support health facility staff on the Care 4 Child Development (C4CD) programme to raise awareness and understanding of child development topics.

The Aga Khan Education Service (AKES), Afghanistan operates 74 pre-primary units, for over 3,700 three-six-year-olds. They offer a programme based on the internationally-recognised HighScope preschool curriculum.

Policy Involvement

AKF has built a national technical working group for ECD, and has been supporting the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, the Ministry of Public Health and UNICEF to design, implement and integrate early childhood education and development programmes, particularly in health. This involvement is currently on hold.