Training, coaching, and mentorship provided through the Nkuza Neza Project are equipping ECD caregivers across Rwanda with the skills and confidence needed to deliver quality early childhood education, helping young children learn, play, and thrive in nurturing environments.
For years, Devotha, an Early Childhood Development (ECD) Centre caregiver in Eastern Rwanda, did her best to support young children despite having no formal training in early childhood education. Like Beline, an ECD caregiver in Kigali City, she was passionate about helping children learn but lacked the knowledge and practical skills needed to provide quality early learning experiences.
Without a clear understanding of child development or structured teaching methods, both caregivers found it difficult to create engaging learning environments. This not only affected the quality of learning but also contributed to lower enrolment at their centres, as parents often preferred centres with trained caregivers.
“I used to teach without referring to any curriculum, so my lessons were different from those delivered by trained caregivers,” said Devotha.
Beline shared a similar experience: “In the beginning, some caregivers did not have the academic background or training needed to effectively support young children's learning.”
Recognizing the need to strengthen community-based ECD services, the Nkuza Neza Project, funded by the Education Outcomes Fund and the LEGO Foundation, provided capacity-building training for caregivers across ten districts in Rwanda.
The training covered holistic child development, the Competence-Based Curriculum (CBC), Twitegure Ishuri (Getting Ready for School), and play-based learning approaches. A total of 354 caregivers, including 289 women and 65 men, participated in the training sessions, gaining practical skills and tools to support children's growth, development, and learning.
For Devotha and Beline, the training provided a deeper understanding of how children learn and how to create nurturing, engaging, and developmentally appropriate learning environments.
One of the most valuable lessons for Beline was learning how to create educational materials using locally available resources.
“I learned how to make learning materials using resources available in our community to better support children's learning,” she said.
Through coaching and mentorship visits, caregivers received practical guidance, encouragement, and opportunities to reflect on and improve their daily practice.
These follow-up visits helped them apply their new knowledge and strengthen the quality of learning for the children under their care.
To reinforce the training, the project conducted on-site coaching and mentorship visits. Nearly 84 percent of the 130 ECD centres supported by the project received these visits, helping caregivers build confidence, improve teaching practices, and create more engaging learning environments for young children.
