You are here

Home / Projects

About Past Projects

Since 2008, VVOB Zambia has been actively promoting quality education through a variety of targeted interventions, including:

  • Playful Foundations (Transforming Early Childhood Education through play-based learning trajectories) 2021 - 2023
  • USAID Let's Read (Supporting Emergent Literacy Development in Early Childhood Education)
  • STEEL (Supporting Early Childhood Teachers on Play-Based Learning Pedagogies) 2017 - 2021
  • QEECS (Quality Early Education in Community Schools) 2014 - 2017
  • ECSITE (Empowering Community School In-Service Teachers through Education) 2013 - 2015
  • LITLE (Learning Improvements for Teachers and Lecturers in Early Education) 2014 - 2016
  • TTTSP (The Teacher Training Support Programme) 2008 - 2013 

Playful Foundations

The Playful Foundations Project was designed to contribute to the holistic development of young children, laying the foundations for lifelong learning in six districts (Lusaka, Namwala, Luwingu, Chongwe South and North and Kapiri-Mposhi) of Zambia. The project period was 18 months (1st October 2021 - 31st March 2023).

 

With support from VVOB, the project was integrated into the existing structure of the World Vision Zambia, Reading for Education and Development (ZREAD) Program. The project envisages the integration of the 7Cs framework of Learning through Play (Ltp) into the Unlock Literacy (UL) Model to bring about these desired outcomes of the project. The project addressed the adverse effects of the COVID pandemic by focusing on bringing out of school children back to school. LtP further nurtured conducive learning environments for all children including girls and those living with disabilities. 

 

The project targeted 16, 269 (Females 10,206 & Males 6 063) young children over 18 months and was funded by World Vision. 

USAID Let's Read

The USAID Let's Read Project was implemented by VVOB - education for development and Education Development Centre (EDC), supporting the Ministry of Education to improve emergent literacy in Zambian schools. VVOB Zambia supported the implementation of emergent literacy development in the subsector of Early Childhood Education (ECE),  in five of Zambia's 10 provinces: Eastern, Muchinga, North-Western, Southern and Western. To support early literacy, in partnership with the Ministry of Education (MoE), VVOB developed a comprehensive reading package for ECE practitioners in Zambia, which were finalized by MoE. The reading package materials included:

  • The ECE Syllabus - developed by MoE
  • The Early Learning Development Standards (ELDS) - developed by MoE
  • The Teaching and Learning Using Locally Available Resources (TALULAR) Guide - developed by MoE
  • The ECE Emergent Literacy Manual - developed through USAID Let's Read and MoE

And local language materials: 

  • Three storybooks in Zambia's seven official local langauges of instruction: Bemba, Kaonde, Lozi, Lunda, Luvale Nyanja and Tonga - developed by MoE.
  • Learning materials (developed through the USAID funded Let's Read project and MoE): 

A total of 5,433 reading packages were produced, and distributed to ECE teachers (2,989 reading packages); District Resource Centres (1,545 reading packages) and MoE Directorates, training institutes, libraries, project partners (987 reading packages). VVOB also trained teachers on how to use the materials to offer quality early education to learners aged 3 to 6, to ensure they start their schooling with solid foundational skills in literacy.

 

 

STEEL - Supporting Teacher Education for Early Learning 2017-2021

The Supporting Teacher Education for Early Learning (STEEL) project was aimed at supporting the Ministry of  Education (MoE) of Zambia on teacher development in the sub-sector of early childhood education (ECE) and the transition into grade 1. The programme was focused around four pillars: 

  • Strengthening Ministry of Education to coordinate and support gender-responsive Learning through Play (LtP) pedagogy and use Early Learning Development Standards (ELDS),
  • Reinforcing early education bachelor programmes in gender-responsive learning through play pedagogy and ELDS,
  • Improving newly qualified early childhood teachers, implementation of gender-responsive learning through play pedagogy and ELDS,
  • Enhancing continous professional development (CPD) for early childhood teachers on gender-responsive learning through play pedagogy and ELDS.

The programme contibuted to the development of an approach to ECE that is practiced by student teachers and newly qualified teachers as well as in-service teachers, ensuring a smooth change trajectory.​

 

QEECS - Quality Early Education in Community Schools 2013– 2017

The Quality Early Education in Community Schools (QEECS) project was implemented and focused on improving the quality education of community schools in 18 peri-urban and rural schools in Kitwe and Ndola districts in Copperbelt Province. The project was completed in June 2017, through a new grant from the European Commission. Implementation of the QEECS project was done by The Flemish Association for Development Cooperation and Technical Assistance from VVOB and Zambia Open Community Schools (ZOCS).

 

The objectives of QEECS were to provide Zambia's marginalized and vulnerable children with a fair and equitable start through quality Early Education, in line with the ambitions and plans of the Ministry of Education (MoE), Sciences, Vocational Training and Early Education. Some of the main activities were:

  • Infrastucture improvements and annexing of Early Childhood Centres to existing community schools,
  • Teaching and learning tools on Early Childhood Education for 20 Teacher Resource Centres,
  • Continuing professional development programmes for early childhood teachers,
  • Advocacy for increased attention to early Childhood education for parents, communities and council representatives.

​A total of five organisations received grants under this call for proposals of the European Union. Other organisations that were awarded grants were Oxfam, Foundation ACRA CCS, Leonard Cheshire Disability, and Development Aid from People to People.

ECSITE - Empowering Community School In-service Teachers through Education 2013-2015

The Empowering Community School In-service Teachers through Education (ECSITE) project was implemented from January 2013 to December 2015 by VVOB in conjunction with Zambia Open Community Schools (ZOCS) and Ministry of Education (MoE) and was co-funded by the European Union and the Belgian Development Cooperation. It was implemented in 250 community schools in several districts of Central Province and Copperbelt Province.

 

The main objective of the project was to improve the teaching skills of the largely untrained volunteer community school teachers, for the benefit of the vulnerable children they serve. The project also trained the Parents Community Schools Committees on how they could support their children's schools. 

 

LITLE - Learning Improvements for Teachers and Lecturers in Early Education 2014- 2017

Learning Improvements for Teachers and Lecturers in Early Education (LITLE) Context Research highlighted that children who participate in Early Childhood Education (ECE) are more likely to enroll and remain in primary school (and achieve better results) than those who cannot access comprehensive early childhood care and education. This was particularly important for girls as through early childhood education they are better prepared for school and frequently stay in school much longer.

 

The goal of the project was to enhance the capacity of the teachers and school leaders to provide all pupils in early education ( pre-primary education and the first years of primary education) equal opportunities for improving their further education and future. The programme ran from 2014 to 2016. The VVOB intervention supported the Ministry of Education (MoE) in monitoring the delivery of early childhood education at the colleges of education. VVOB supported MoE in setting up systems for early childhood education and empowering lecturers for early childhood education through in-service and pre-service training. Pre-service teacher training for early childhood education was provided in a selected number of colleges of education. The programme aimed at increasing the quality of the courses provided at these institutions. Besides this, VVOB supported the District Resource Centre Coordinators from Ndola and Kitwe in organizing a training on early childhood education for the in-service coordinators in 18 zones. These coordinators helped teachers in the schools to provide quality education for small children.

TTTSP - The Teacher Training Support Programme 2008-2013

The Teacher Training Support Programme (TTTSP) started in 2008 and ran until end of 2013. The specific goal of this programme was to improve the quality of pre-service and in-service teacher training for primary education in Zambia, including distance learning.  

 

The programme was based on several pillars that help to improve the quality of education through teacher training and development. Introducing systems of lifelong learning in colleges will improve learning and teaching skills. The programme also supported the development, implementation and improvement of distance learning. Lastly, the programme stimulated access to qualitative materials and methods through Information and Communication Technology (ICT.)