Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the African Center for Early Childhood Development (AfC-ECD), Dr. Kebede Worku and President of Bahir Dar University signing the agreement
In a significant move to generate essential evidence and data on the status of early childhood development, the African Center for Early Childhood Development (ACECD), on March 21, 2025, has signed agreements with three universities to conduct baseline studies on “the State of Early Childhood Development”.
The agreements meant to provide the terms and conditions of supporting the baseline studies and the detailed survey activities by Bahir Dar, Hawassa and Wachemo Universities to collect critical data related to Early Childhood Development (ECD) in the Amhara, Sidama and Central- Ethiopia Regional States respectively in collaboration with the regional states.
The survey outputs and information to be generated by the universities are expected to facilitate ECD related policy formulations and future project interventions both at regional and national levels.
To achieve the survey objectives, the universities will work closely with and engage pertinent bodies, including the offices of the presidents of the respective regional states, the regional bureaus of health, education, and women, children and social Affairs, as well as other relevant organizations.
Explaining the significance of the research initiative, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the African Center for Early Childhood Development (AfC-ECD), Dr. Kebede Worku, said: “conducting the baseline study is a decisive move to help the government and its partners understand the current status of Early Childhood Development (ECD) in the three regional states and determine the kind of policy measures to be taken and the appropriate project interventions to be designed.”
“As part of our Center’s core values of active engagement of stakeholders, we purposively resort to work with the three universities to conduct the baseline surveys in the three regions. I have a strong conviction that the universities will effectively generate the desired evidence and data on ECD as they are part of their respective local communities to enable us take informed policy decision and interventions to improve early childhood development in Ethiopia which is critical in determining the overall future of our country,” Dr. Kebede underscored.
AfC-ECD Deputy Chief Executive Officer Dr. Meseret Zelalem on her part underscores that the primary goal of Early Childhood Development (ECD) interventions is to promote nurturing care—health, nutrition, responsive caregiving, security and safety and early learning.
Dr. Meseret Zelalem also promised that her centre would provide all the necessary support to the universities in their research endeavours of producing the critical evidences related to nurturing care of children.
AfC-ECD has secured financial support from its partner, Big Win Philanthropy, to cover the expenses associated with the baseline studies. The studies will encompass a wide range of participants, including a significant number of woreda-level authorities, parents, and institutions involved in childhood development. The research will cover a substantial number of pre-primary schools, daycares, play grounds, and other relevant institutions in the three regional states.
President of Bahir Dar University Dr. Mengesha Ayene at the occasion pointed out that investing in early childhood is a moral, economic, and social imperative and expressed his readiness to effectively lead and support the intended baseline survey to collect the much needed data and evidence on ECD to intimately improve the lives of Ethiopia young children.
He highlighted the importance of the survey in establishing a clear understanding of ECD in the Amhara regional state as it paves the way for future improvements in childhood development services and may put forward future measures to be taken in the area.
President of Hawassa University, Dr. Chirotaw Ayele also underlined “early childhood development will not only benefit the children of today, but will have a direct impact on the stability and prosperity of nations in the future.”
Dr. Chirotaw pledged his relentless support and supervision in the planned national state level baseline survey on ECD to generate the desirable result.
President of Wachemo University, Dr. Dawit Hayeso, after signing the research agreement indicated that he is happy to work with the African Center for Early Childhood Development on the research initiative and expressed his conviction that the survey will be a success.
