The African Center for Early Childhood Development (AfC-ECD) brought Ethiopia’s experience in strengthening early childhood development (ECD) systems to a series of global discussions during the 81st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA81) in New York. Represented by Chief Executive Officer Dr. Kebede Worku and Director of Programs and Strategic Partnerships Dr. Natnael Asres Yamnew, the Centre contributed to conversations on early years financing, quality childcare, government-led programme scale and early literacy, while advancing partnerships to support young children and their families. The engagements provided an opportunity to share lessons from Ethiopia, exchange experiences with governments and development partners, and strengthen collaboration around the systems needed to deliver quality, accessible and sustainable ECD services.
Bringing Addis Ababa’s experience to the global financing agenda
A key moment was AfC-ECD’s participation in Investing Early, Building Futures, the high-level launch of the Global Early Years Finance Summit at UNICEF House. Speaking on behalf of H.E. Mayor Adanech Abiebie of Addis Ababa, Dr. Kebede Worku shared the city’s experience in connecting political leadership with baseline evidence, multisectoral coordination and a roadmap for early childhood development. The discussion highlighted how services such as early learning, parenting support, childcare and child-friendly public spaces depend on institutions that can plan, finance and sustain them. The event, opened by UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell, brought together senior government leaders, Theirworld Chairperson Sarah Brown, the World Bank, philanthropic organizations and early childhood development partners. Closing remarks by former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown reinforced the importance of translating commitments to the early years into investment.
AfC-ECD’s case study with Brookings on Addis Ababa’s experience was also distributed, bringing the city’s approach to a wider global audience. The contribution drew on work undertaken by the Center alongside the Addis Ababa City Administration, government institutions and implementation partners. As preparations for the Global Early Years Finance Summit continue, the experience offers lessons on how political commitment, evidence and coordinated planning can support stronger ECD systems.
Financing government-led scale and stronger public systems
The Center also contributed to Funding Government-led Scale: What Needs to Change? a discussion convened by Spring Impact and Lively Minds and hosted at ELMA Philanthropies. Dr. Natnael Asres Yamnew joined representatives from Spring Impact, TaRL Africa, Lively Minds, Grand Challenges Canada and ELMA Philanthropies to explore what it takes to expand early childhood programmes while strengthening the public systems responsible for sustaining them. Drawing on AfC-ECD’s work with regional governments in Ethiopia, the discussion emphasized the importance of financing the capabilities behind service delivery, including coordination, workforce development, supervision, quality assurance and data use.
Regional steering committees, baseline evidence and locally owned roadmaps help align implementation with government priorities. Flexible, multi-year funding can give these efforts the time and support needed to develop and adapt. The exchange also reinforced the value of African governments learning directly from one another. For AfC-ECD, supporting this exchange of knowledge and experience remains central to its work to strengthen ECD systems and help translate policy commitments into effective services.
Advancing quality childcare from policy to implementation
Quality childcare was another important focus during the Pan-African dialogue Advancing Quality Childcare Systems: From Policy to Implementation, convened by Kenya’s Ministry of Gender, Culture and Children’s Services in collaboration with Axum.
Dr. Kebede Worku shared the Center’s experience alongside colleagues from Kenya and South Africa. The dialogue brought together national and county leaders, practitioners, funders and early childhood development partners to examine the practical requirements for implementing childcare policies.
Discussions focused on enabling regulation, usable data, a supported workforce and sustainable financing. Contributions from SmartStart South Africa and organizations working directly with childcare providers helped connect policy discussions with the realities of communities and service delivery. The Center also welcomed the opportunity to reconnect with Mombasa Governor H.E. Abdulswamad Shariff Nassir, reflecting the continuing learning relationship between AfC-ECD and Mombasa County. These exchanges provided space for African stakeholders to compare experiences, consider implementation challenges and identify lessons that can be adapted to different national and local contexts.
A new partnership to advance early literacy
During UNGA week, AfC-ECD and NABU signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to advance early literacy and expand access to culturally and linguistically relevant children’s books in Ethiopia. The agreement was signed by Dr. Kebede Worku, CEO of AfC-ECD, and Camille Park, CEO of NABU. The partnership begins with plans to adapt ten NABU titles into Amharic, with additional Ethiopian mother-tongue languages envisaged as the collaboration develops. Beyond books, the partnership will support local capacity through training and creative fellowships, with a focus on Ethiopian writers, illustrators and educators.
The collaboration reflects a shared ambition to ensure that more children can access books in languages they speak at home, while creating opportunities for local creatives to develop stories that reflect children’s experiences and communities. Implementation will depend on continued collaboration between the two organizations and alignment with government priorities. The signing marks an important step towards developing learning resources that support children’s language, literacy and development.
Strengthening partnerships for the next phase of work
Beyond the formal sessions and the signing of the NABU agreement, UNGA week created opportunities for AfC-ECD to continue discussions with existing and prospective partners. The Center held continued discussions with RISE and Think Equal and exchanged with ELMA Philanthropies, Bloomberg Associates, the Van Leer Foundation and the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation. The early years commitments workshop also provided an opportunity to explore how government priorities can be translated into practical, costed commitments as preparations for the Global Early Years Finance Summit continue.
These engagements complemented the Center’s contributions on financing, childcare and government-led scale, reinforcing the importance of coordinated partnerships in moving from shared ambitions to implementation. The discussions also reflected the work that takes place beyond international events: colleagues gathering evidence, supporting training, coordinating with regional governments and building partnerships around the needs of young children and families.
Turning global conversations into local action
AfC-ECD’s participation at UNGA81 brought Ethiopia’s ECD experience into global and Pan-African discussions while creating opportunities to deepen collaboration, share practical lessons and advance new partnerships. From Addis Ababa’s experience in connecting leadership, evidence and multisectoral coordination to the need for sustainable financing, effective childcare systems and accessible early literacy resources, the engagements underscored a common priority: building the institutional capacity and partnerships needed to deliver for young children over time.
The next phase is to build on these exchanges through continued collaboration, practical implementation and learning with governments and partners.
