SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA
Partnering with governments in Africa to deliver education reform that lasts
Across Sub-Saharan Africa, governments are working to improve education systems and create better opportunities for learners, including the most marginalised. We work alongside ministries, local organisations, and development partners to turn reform plans into lasting improvements in education, with a focus on strengthening systems so change can continue long after individual programmes end.
Government-led.
Locally owned.
Lasting change happens when reform is led by governments and shaped by local knowledge. That's why we work through existing systems, build local capability, and support leaders to make decisions that reflect their priorities and context. Our role is not to create parallel structures – it is to help strengthen the systems already responsible for delivering education.
How we support education in the region
Technical assistance that helps governments act
We provide practical support at critical moments in a reform journey, using evidence, solving implementation challenges, and making the most of available resources.
Our work is designed to turn good ideas into sustainable action.
Stronger systems for long-term impact
Sustainable improvement comes from stronger systems, not stand-alone projects.
Strengthening the foundations that make reform possible is a vital part of the work we do, including workforce development, governance, data, and accountability.
Reaching every learner, together
Education systems are stronger when every learner can participate and succeed. We work closely alongside local communities to make learning more inclusive for the most marginalised young people, including girls and learners with disabilities.
Scaling what works
Too many promising ideas never move beyond a pilot.
That’s why our focus is always on impact that can grow and endure – helping to embed effective approaches into national systems so they can reach more schools, teachers, and learners.
Our focus areas
Our work in Sub-Saharan Africa helps to address some of the region’s biggest education challenges:
- Foundational literacy and numeracy
- Teacher and school leader development
- Education system strengthening
- Gender and disability inclusion
- Youth skills and employability
We've partnered with
Where we work
Kenya
Supporting early childhood education reform, teacher development, and national policies to improve foundational learning.
Zimbabwe
Strengthening teaching quality and inspections to help schools improve.
Sierra Leone
Helping to implement policy for workforce planning and national education data systems.
Rwanda
Improving teaching quality and embedding play-based learning in policy and classrooms.
Ethiopia
Strengthening the education system by developing educators and making teaching more inclusive.
Across the region
Working with ministries through programmes such as SCALE and Engeza, helping to strengthen foundational learning and scale reforms.
"Learners can read now... We have seen that what [the INSPIRED programme] is impacting, it is good and it is doing it."
Alice Kerubo, early childhood educator in Kenya
The INSPIRED programme is improving foundational learning for some of the most marginalised and vulnerable children in Kenya. We spoke to Alice, an early childhood educator in Wajir County, about the impact that the programme has had on her approach to teaching, and in turn the positive effect it has had on her students.
Our programmes
Our work in Sub-Saharan Africa delivers impact at scale while strengthening the systems that sustain improvement. This includes developing teachers and leaders, supporting ministries to implement reform, and embedding approaches such as professional learning communities and inclusive education.