Child development is a complex process influenced by health, nutrition, safety, learning, and responsive caregiving. In East Africa, despite progress, challenges like high rates of preterm birth, limited access to early learning, and gaps in nurturing care persist. Addressing these issues requires more than standalone projects: it demands a coordinated approach that supports the whole child across time and context.

The science is unequivocal: the first few years of life, from gestation onward, lay the very foundation for a person's entire future. This period doesn't just influence a child's health; it directly shapes their capacity for learning, their ability to form relationships, their resilience in the face of adversity, and even their long-term social and economic outcomes.

By Kule Joseph