Lively Minds

As Borhene Chakroun from UNICEF said yesterday at the Early Childhood Development Action Network - ECDAN , 'Investing in young children is the smartest investment available to modern states'.

Yet, 'when fiscal space tightens, loses out'.

How can both be true? And yet we know they are. Yesterday morning was a frank assessment of where global budgets actually stand. Funding shifts from preventative to remedial - patching problems in upper primary or secondary - but the data on progress towards tells us this approach isn't working (see image). In fact, countries that invest only in formal education show higher mortality rates and more stunting. Stark.

Elizabeth Lule, ECDAN's executive director made it clear, 'The financing is there, but needs practical pathways.'

The forum moved from that sobering morning of framing to something more hopeful: exploring how to get from Point A to Point B, as Dominic Richardson from the Learning For Well-Being Institute showed us.

Point A - current ECCE policies in a country.
Point B - evidence-informed portfolio of child policies that facilitate optimal child well-being and development.

Simple to write down, but considerably harder to achieve. But possible - and this forum is full of the knowledgeable, experienced, and innovative people who are working out how to do it.



Fayudatu Yakubu | Eleanor Sykes

Lively Minds works exclusively with governments, partnering with them to embed parental activation into their policies and education pathways. We have seen that the political will to support parents in delivering quality at home exists - regardless of where they live or their own educational background - but this will does not always translate into the budgets needed to make that provision a reality.

Our Head of Global Partnerships Fayudatu Yakubu and advocacy lead Eleanor Sykes are delighted to be in this week, at the Global Technical Financing Forum convened by Early Childhood Development Action Network - ECDAN, and co-hosted by the Government of Rwanda, UNESCO, UNICEF, National Child Development Agency - Rwanda, The African Early Childhood Network (AfECN) and World Health Organization (WHO).

Providing young children with the nurture, care, and learning experiences they need to build healthy, safe, and successful lives does not have to be expensive. Lively Minds would argue - with evidence to back it up - that parents are the sleeping giants of quality . They are capable of driving huge learning gains and, as an already existing resource in a child's life, represent one of the most economical options available. That said, equipping parents with the knowledge and skills to do this does require investment, as do other valuable programmes and mechanisms.

We look forward to seeing fellow devotees here - from governments and investors, to philanthropists and researchers, to think tanks and NGOs - to see how we can all play our part in ensuring that all young children, everywhere, are able to lay those foundations that they need to live their best possible lives.

This week on our 𝐔𝐧𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐡𝐨𝐭𝐨 series… 📸

This is one of those day-to-day activities that might feel familiar to many families.

Children playing outside their home, making the most of what is around them. Nothing special at first glance. Just play.

No fancy toys, no expensive materials, no classroom. But when you look closer, you realise how much is happening here.

They are using simple things from their surroundings: scraps of fabric, sticks, straw, recycled items. Things that are easy to find in most homes and communities.

And in their play, they are learning.

They talk to each other, ask questions, try things out, copy what they see, and use their imagination. They are learning how to name things, recognise colours, sort objects, compare sizes, and even describe what is happening around them.

These small moments build important skills: language, early maths, confidence, and how to get along with others. The kinds of things children carry with them into school and beyond.

What is also powerful here is the role of the mother in the community. She may not have had formal education, but with the right support, she can turn everyday materials at home into learning opportunities for her children.

You see, quality does not need to be expensive or complicated. It can start right at home, with what families already have, when parents are supported and encouraged along the way.

Early Childhood Care and Education isn't a precursor to the 'real' work. It IS the real work. It's where the foundations of a child's future are built - or are not.

And it's this 'are not' that Lively Minds and other dedicated and extraordinary organisations continue to work so hard to overcome.

Last week in Oxford, during the Skoll World Forum, we co-hosted 'Unlocking the Missing Capital for the Early Years' to a packed room, with our CEO and founder Alison Naftalin presenting alongside those from SmartStart South Africa, Rocket Learning, Kidogo, NurtureFirst, Dost Education, Happy Hearts, Sabre Education, Parenting for Lifelong Health, and Mobile Creches.

Foundational Literacy and Numeracy gets significant global investment - and of course this makes sense. But the clue is in the name: foundational. And Lively Minds believes the child's home, with their parents, is where these foundations logically begin.

These early years are when the brain grows faster than it ever will again, when emotional and social behaviours are formed, and when lifelong health is shaped. If children arrive at school without these foundations in place - physically healthy, emotionally secure, with caregivers who know how to support their learning - every subsequent intervention is playing catch-up.

We cannot keep viewing programmes as isolated. A child's learning, health, and wellbeing are one continuous journey - and our investments must reflect that.

Our 'ECCE believers' audience was on board, but the work now is to bring others with us. To show governments and those with convening power that integrating parental support is how you lay these foundations, with healthier, emotionally secure children, ready to learn and to thrive. So let's go!

Here are all the sessions we’ll be speaking at next week during .

Catch our Founder and CEO, 𝐀𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐍𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐧, Advocacy Lead, 𝐄𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐫 𝐒𝐲𝐤𝐞𝐬, and Manager of Special Projects, 𝐁𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐕𝐮𝐜𝐤𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐜 in Oxford as they join these exciting conversations hosted by 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐒𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐛𝐚𝐫.

They’ll be sharing insights on:
• What we’ve learnt about activating parents as the 'sleeping giants' in delivering quality early childhood development.
• How we support governments to deliver cost-neutral high-quality programmes at scale through their existing systems.
• Ways in which effective doer and payer partnerships can greatly amplify impact.

It’s not too late to register! We’ll be sharing registration links for two of the sessions in the comments below.

Take a look at the flyer for more information - see you there!

Parenting Workshop testing has been completed in Region, !

Working closely with the Education Bureau, our teams supported government staff and local parents in hands-on sessions that bring play-based learning into homes.

Parents explored simple, everyday ways to engage their children, from games that teach colours and matching skills to activities that strengthen thinking and problem-solving. Each workshop also shared practical tips, including how children develop understanding best when they can observe, listen, and take part themselves.

The sessions were delivered by Bureau staff with technical guidance from Lively Minds, giving parents first-hand experience and providing valuable insights to refine the programme.

These workshops help the Bureau respond to a locally identified need, demonstrating how structured parenting support can complement early childhood systems and turn everyday moments into meaningful learning experiences.

We’re excited to be featured in this month’s edition of Andy Brock’s education newsletter, Re-Education!

In this issue, Andy explores what it really takes to scale education programmes and highlights Lively Minds as a case study after speaking with our Founder & CEO, Alison Naftalin, and Head of Programme Delivery, James Awini.

The feature looks at why Lively Minds is adapting its approach as we expand our work into and and how activating parents can help reach more children, more families, and more governments faster.

As the global early childhood development crisis continues, finding practical ways to scale impact has never been more important.

Read here: https://abrock.substack.com/p/the-lively-minds-scaling-experience?r=2n2xtw&utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email

Link to the whole newsletter in the comments.

The Lively Minds Scaling Experience – a Change of Mind Despite successfully supporting the Government of Ghana to integrate and scale a parenting programme into its pre-primary system, Lively Minds have taken the courageous step of re-thinking their scale approach as they begin work in Ethiopia and the Gambia – why ?

𝐀 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 #𝐒𝐤𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐮𝐦 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬!

Next week, our Advocacy Lead, 𝐄𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐫 𝐒𝐲𝐤𝐞𝐬, will be co-leading the discussion, 𝘎𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘋𝘰𝘦𝘳: 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐𝘵 𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘛𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘍𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘋𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘵 𝘚𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘦, hosted by The Sidebar, alongside Miranda Buba, Christopher Turillo, and Chris Nicoletti and Rob Hope.

Drawing on Lively Minds’ evidence and experience from working with governments in and , 𝐄𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐫 will share insights on what it truly takes for governments to fund and deliver high-quality programmes at scale.

🗓 Thursday 23 April
🕚 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM
📍 The Edge, 37 St Giles’, Oxford

If you’ll be at the Forum, we’d love for you to join the conversation and connect with us there.

Register to attend using the link in the comments.

As part of our technical advisory partnership with the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, The Gambia (MoBSE), in launching the parenting programme pilot in , our teams have spent the past weeks working closely with government officials, teachers, curriculum specialists, and communities to adapt the Parenting Workshops to local contexts.

We successfully kickstarted the Parenting Workshop testing, with sessions delivered by staff, supported by Lively Minds, and attended by parents from , , and Villages in Region Two East, Foni.

The workshops ran in March and covered:
• Matching and How Children Learn
• Hand Washing
• Storytelling and Quality Time

enjoyed learning how to use locally available materials to teach simple games about colours and matching objects, and how to make handwashing stations at home. They also appreciated learning new concepts, including how children learn best through seeing, hearing, and doing.

These sessions provide practical insights and support the Ministry in addressing a locally identified need, strengthening early childhood learning at home while ensuring solutions are realistic, scalable, and effective for families.