Blogs

November 14, 2025 - In Blogs By ALiVE Admin 0

Reimagining the Future of Learning: From Knowledge to Character

How can schools move from policy to practice when it comes to nurturing life skills and values? From a recent review of literature conducted by Action for Life Skills and Values in East Africa (ALiVE), we identify forward-thinking models that reimagine not only how learners acquire knowledge but also how they develop compassion, resilience, and responsibility. In this blog, we discuss some of these models as promising approaches that can strengthen pedagogical practices in nurturing skills and values through the whole school approach. Reinventing the Learning Space The Inquiry-Based Flipped Classroom (IB-FC) model (Loizou & Lee, 2020) redefines classroom dynamics. Here, students engage with digital learning materials i.e. short videos, readings, or interactive tasks before class. This frees up classroom time for inquiry, reflection, and problem-solving. Teachers act as facilitators rather than lecturers, guiding students through collaborative exploration. The result is a participatory and inclusive environment that promotes independence, adaptability, and teamwork. This model demonstrates that when schools invest in digital infrastructure and teacher capacity, technology becomes a bridge to curiosity and creativity not a distraction. Coding Character into Learning The Creative Computational Problem-Solving (CCPS) model (Chevalier et al., 2022) uses robotics and computational thinking to teach collaboration, ethical reasoning, and innovation. Learners work in teams to design, code, and test solutions to real-world problems, blending technical skill with social intelligence. Teachers who piloted the model found that it improved teamwork, reflection, and creativity proving that coding can cultivate both competence and character. For Uganda’s growing digital economy, this model offers valuable insights into how Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) education can become a vehicle for life skills development. Learning from our Roots Closer home, the African Traditional Education Framework (ATEF) (Onwuatuegwu & Paul-Mgbeafulike, 2023) reminds educators that values education is not new to Africa. Rooted in the philosophy of Ubuntu “I am because we are” ATEF promotes community learning, moral instruction, and apprenticeship as means of cultivating empathy, integrity, and interdependence. By weaving indigenous knowledge systems into modern schooling, educators can create culturally responsive curricula that celebrate heritage while building civic responsibility and social cohesion. Resilience and Leadership for the Future The Resilience Framework for Promoting Competence (Masten et al., 2008) and the Integrated Instructional and Transformational Leadership (IITL) model (Shava, 2021) position schools as ecosystems that nurture both competence and character. They show that effective education goes beyond lessons – it lives in school culture, relationships, and leadership. When teachers and principals adopt transformational leadership which models empathy, vision, and collaboration, schools become nurturing spaces that help students thrive emotionally and academically. The Big Picture Across these diverse models, one message stands out: nurturing life skills and values is a systemic responsibility. It requires synergy between curriculum design, school leadership, teacher development, and community participation. From a recent review of literature conducted by ALiVE, we conclude that “competence and character are cultivated when instructional design, leadership, counselling, cultural relevance, and emotional safety operate as a coherent ecosystem.” When education connects intellect with empathy and culture with innovation, classrooms become spaces where knowledge transforms into wisdom. This holistic approach is what education reform in Uganda and beyond must now aim for to provide an education that prepares learners not only to make a living but to make a difference. The future belongs to schools that educate both the mind and the heart. By Seezi Bogere Seezi Bogere is a Research Officer at NCDC and Co-Lead of ALiVE Learning Journey with Schools, Uganda

November 14, 2025 - In Blogs By ALiVE Admin 0

Why Nurturing Life Skills and Values Matters Now More Than Ever

Across the world, education systems are undergoing a quiet revolution, a shift from rote memorization to the holistic development of learners who can think critically, empathize deeply, and act ethically. In Uganda, this transformation is being advanced through a strategic partnership between the National Curriculum Development Centre (NCDC, Uganda) and Action for Life Skills and Values in East Africa (ALiVE) initiative. Together, NCDC and ALiVE are championing the implementation of the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC), which places life skills and values at the heart of teaching and learning, equipping learners to thrive in a changing world. Through this partnership, NCDC and ALiVE are on a learning journey with 6 primary schools to unlock evidence on working models for developing skills and nurturing values through the whole school approach. The partnership is also supporting the development of evidence informed Learning Progressions for three skills (cooperation, creative thinking and problem solving) across four grade levels (P6, S1, S2 and S3). This aims to enhance understanding of developmental progressions for these skills as well as strengthening classroom practices for nurturing these competencies amongst the learners. Under the same NCDC–ALiVE partnership, a literature review was conducted. This review offers insights that continue to inform and strengthen the ongoing learning journey with schools. It serves as an evidence base linking research to practice, ensuring that the partnership’s interventions for nurturing life skills and values are grounded in both global and local knowledge. As explained in the review, the 21st-century learner must be nurtured as a whole being, not just to pass exams, but as citizens who are compassionate, creative, and conscious of their role in shaping a just and sustainable world. An education that equips the whole person requires us to adapt and adopt to a new posture. From our current review of global and local literature, three key insights stand out: 1. Beyond Knowledge: Teaching for Humanity Traditional teaching methods often focus on content mastery, leaving little room for character formation or emotional intelligence. However, emerging pedagogies including inquiry-based learning, problem-based learning, reflective dialogue, and technology-enhanced instruction emphasize learning as a process of exploration and meaning-making. These methods allow learners to question, investigate, and collaborate, building confidence, curiosity, and empathy along the way. For instance, in inquiry-based learning, students become investigators of real-life issues, engaging in critical reasoning and ethical decision-making. In problem-based learning, they work collaboratively to find solutions to community challenges while strengthening teamwork, persistence, and accountability. Technology-enhanced learning, when used ethically, further develops digital citizenship and innovation skills, preparing learners for both local and global realities. 2. Learning from the World Around Us Bogere’s synthesis reveals that experiential and place-based learning play a vital role in connecting knowledge to life. When learners engage directly with their communities, natural environments, and local cultures, they develop a sense of belonging and responsibility. Such approaches nurture environmental stewardship and civic consciousness values that are crucial for achieving UNESCO Education for Sustainable Development goals. Whether through school gardens, community clean-ups, or local storytelling projects, these experiences teach children that learning extends beyond the classroom. They help students appreciate the interconnectedness of social, environmental, and ethical dimensions of life. 3. Teaching with Heart and Reflection The review also underscores the importance of reflective questioning and dialogue-based teaching. When teachers ask open-ended questions and facilitate discussion rather than dictation, they encourage learners to express themselves, listen actively, and respect diverse opinions. This nurtures humility, patience, and emotional intelligence – qualities which are vital for peaceful coexistence in diverse societies. By cultivating curiosity and moral reflection, educators help learners to see the value of compassion and ethical choice. These skills prepare them not only for the world of work but also for leadership, family, and community life. A Call to Action The message is clear: nurturing life skills and values is not an optional add-on; it is the very purpose of education. Schools that blend academic rigor with moral development and social engagement produce well-rounded individuals ready to thrive in a rapidly changing world. For teachers, this means rethinking classroom practices; for policymakers, reimagining assessment and accountability; and for parents, reinforcing values at home to complement what is nurtured in school. When these stakeholders work together, education becomes a force for both personal and national transformation. To build a peaceful, equitable, and sustainable Uganda, we must move beyond “learning to know” toward “learning to be.” When life skills and values drive education, schools do not just prepare students for jobs they prepare them for life. By Seezi Bogere Seezi Bogere is a Research Officer at NCDC and Co-Lead of ALiVE Learning Journey with Schools, Uganda

September 16, 2025 - In Blogs‚ Values-based Education By ALiVE Admin 0

Unlearning to Relearn: Strengthening Research Methodologies for Competence-Based Curriculum Implementation

When researchers, educators, and partners gathered for the ALiVE research methodology workshop, the atmosphere was marked by both curiosity and resolve. This was not simply a training; rather, it was an invitation to question long-held assumptions. They were not just there to learn; they were there to challenge their own assumptions, to unlearn rigid old habits, and to embrace new ways of thinking about how evidence can meaningfully shape competence-based curriculum reforms. Led by the Impact Evaluation Lab under the guidance of Dr. Constantine Manda, the five-day workshop combined guided reflection, rigorous debates, and practical exercises. Together, participants embarked on a humbling journey to rethink what it truly takes to design research that not only measures outcomes but also illuminates the processes, contexts and lived realities of CBC implementation. From Reflection to Rethinking Learning Pathways A turning point came when participants reflected on the state of CBC in their countries, not through numbers alone, but through stories of classrooms, teachers, and learners navigating change. The insight was clear- to understand whether CBC is working, we must go beyond measuring outputs to interrogating processes of how learners build competencies, how teachers adapt pedagogy, and how schools manage systemic shifts. From Concepts to Practice The workshop prioritized doing over discussing. Participants: Engaged in hands-on sessions on research design, data analysis, and randomization, building confidence in practical tools such as Excel for experimental design. Worked in national and thematic groups to frame research questions, sketched tools, and developed timelines for implementation, supported by technical mentorship. The energy in the room was palpable as debates sparked clarity and collaboration bridged diverse perspectives. Participants discovered that rigorous research thrives when grounded in collective efforts. Growing a Research Community By the end, what began as individual reflections had grown into a shared commitment to build an evidence culture that is process-oriented, context-sensitive, and policy-relevant. Draft research tools and timelines were developed, but more importantly, participants left with a renewed confidencethat they could generate evidence robust enough to guide and strengthen CBC implementation. As one participant reflected: “It wasn’t about getting the answers- it was about learning to ask the right questions.” While another affirmed that, “ the beauty about this workshop was discovering that collaboration doesn’t weaken research- it strengthens it.” I leave here with not only knowledge, but also with the courage to use it. Joyce Kahembe Head of Research, Consultancy & Publication, TIE. “I benefited from an excellent session led by Prof. Constantine Manda (University of California, Irvine) on core program evaluation methods including causal inference, randomized designs, regression discontinuity, differences-in-differences, and the research ethics safeguarding human subjects. Two ideas stuck with me: the power of randomization in experiments, and how larger samples sharpen precision and data quality. Just as important, the workshop reinforced a simple rule: define constructs clearly, ask causal questions explicitly, and anchor every claim in a credible counterfactual so we don’t confuse selection effects or time trends for impact. Practical fieldwork takeaways were equally strong: use proper randomizers, recruit local enumerators, anticipate social desirability bias (e.g., list experiments), and consider mobile surveys where appropriate. Given Kenya’s rich tradition of quantitative and mixed-methods studies, I left convinced that whatever the approach, we should still aim for designs that create credible comparisons and preserve balance between treatment and control groups. Finally, the human lesson: social capital matters. Peer networks open doors to better studies and career opportunities. I’m grateful to ALiVE, the Tanzania Institute of Education (TIE), and the Impact Evaluation Lab for an evidence-focused, hands-on convening. Above all, the experience affirmed that learning, relearning, and unlearning are essential as we pursue process-oriented curriculum implementation research. This was indeed a good opportunity of learning about how to ensure our learners across East Africa have the best chance at living meaningful lives and being competitive globally.” – Evans Mos Olao, Senior Research and Knowledge Management Officer, KICD. “Orthogonality in randomization might sound like a heavy term, but it is actually a simple idea with big importance in experimental designs. It’s about making sure that the treatment and control groups are truly comparable before the experiment begins. Why does this matter? Because we want certainty that any difference we see later on is due only to the treatment. If the groups already differ in important ways like age, income, or education then we can’t be sure whether the treatment or those differences are driving the results. Orthogonality helps solve that problem by giving us balance. A balance test is one way to check this. By collecting data on key characteristics at the start, sometimes through a simple baseline survey, or even using existing secondary data we can test whether the treatment and control groups are equivalent. If they are, then we know randomization has done its job. And the good news? This often means we can avoid running expensive baseline surveys. With orthogonality in place, the analysis becomes much cleaner. The treatment effect can be seen directly in the difference in outcomes between the treatment and control groups. That’s the power of getting the basics right from the start.” – Martin Ariapa, ALiVE Regional Senior Analyst. “This workshop marked a milestone in building a regional research community that puts life skills and values at the core of education. The methodologies we explored will ripple outward—helping governments track progress, shape interventions, and equip learners with the competencies they need to thrive in a complex and divided world. The journey does not end here. The seeds planted will grow into evidence that informs, questions that challenge, and practices that reimagine how education systems nurture competencies for learning and life” – Akongo Rose Stella, ALiVE Co-PI Learning Hub. By Einoth Justine – ALiVE Manager, Tanzania

September 1, 2025 - In Blogs By ALiVE Admin 0

How Technology is Transforming Education Assessments in Africa.

Reflections from the AEAA 41st Annual Conference, Addis Ababa By Samson Sitta, ALiVE Senior Program Officer, MZF This August, education leaders, researchers, and practitioners from across Africa and beyond gathered for the 41st Annual Conference of Association for Educational Assessment in Africa (AEAA), in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The conversations rode on the theme, Transforming Educational Assessment: Towards Quality learning and Informed Decision Making. The first Sub-theme resonated around the question: How can technology help Africa rethink the way we assess learning? Beyond Exams: Why Technology Matters For decades, examinations have been the gateway to opportunities in Africa. But too often, education systems have measured only a fraction of what learners truly know and can do. Now, with rapid advances in technology, new possibilities are emerging. Imagine classrooms where tests are not only faster to administer but also fairer, more inclusive, and more connected to real life. Imagine assessments that recognize creativity, problem-solving, and resilience—skills young people need to thrive in the 21st century. This vision animated the AEAA conference, with speakers from across the continent sharing both challenges and inspiring solutions (Dieteren, 2025; Aminu et al., 2025; Sitta & Marandu, 2025; Mahlet, 2025; Namigadde, 2025). AI Can Help – But Humans Are Still Key Dutch testologist Nico Dieteren presented on Testology and Technology: How the Human Factor Can Leverage and Enhance the Use of AI in Making Good Tests. He reminded participants that while artificial intelligence (AI) can make testing more efficient—automating tasks like marking, test assembly, and item generation—it cannot replace human judgment. “AI is strong in speed and scale,” he explained, “but unreliable in creativity and ethics.” In Africa, where culture and fairness are central, AI must be paired with human expertise to ensure assessments remain meaningful and just (Dieteren, 2025). Samson Sitta at the AEAA Conference 2025 From Nigeria, Dr. Mohammed Aminu and colleagues presented findings on the Implementation of Inclusive Assessment Practices in Technical Colleges in Southern Nigeria. Their study revealed that while students perceive inclusive assessments as improving participation and learning outcomes, many teachers still rely on traditional tests. Barriers such as limited digital skills, gaps in training, and inadequate funding stood out. Yet, with investment in digital tools, teacher training, and policy support, assessments can be redesigned to celebrate every learner’s talents—not just those who excel in exams (Aminu, Stephen, Iluobe & Raymond, 2025). Digital Literacy: More Than a Tech Skill From Tanzania and Zanzibar, Samson Sitta and Daniel Marandu, presented on behalf of the Action for Life Skills and Values in East Africa (ALiVE) initiative. They shared insights on Leveraging Digital Technologies to Transform Educational Assessments in Africa. Their evidence shows that only 31% of adolescents could easily use digital tools, with girls and poorer adolescents most disadvantaged. Yet adolescents with stronger digital skills demonstrated higher confidence, problem-solving skill, and resilience. They observe that digital literacy is not just a technical ability—it is a life skill that opens doors to learning, work, and empowerment (Marandu & Sitta, 2025). Ethiopia’s Experiment with : Structured Pedagogy From Ethiopia, Mahlet (Luminos Fund) presented on “Scaling Structured Pedagogy in Sidama Using EGRA/EGMA Data.” Working with the Ministry of Education, Luminos piloted structured lesson plans combined with tablet-based assessments. The results were striking. Children in structured pedagogy classrooms recorded 29+ correct words per minute in literacy and nearly doubled their performance in numeracy compared to peers in traditional programs. This shows that when technology is blended with pedagogy and teacher support, learning outcomes improve dramatically—even in resource-constrained settings (Mahlet, 2025). Confronting Exam Malpractice in Uganda From Uganda, Namigadde Salimah of UNEB presented on Examination Malpractice at High-Stakes Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE) in Luweero District. She noted that malpractice—driven by academic pressure, institutional competition, and inadequate preparation—remains a serious threat to fairness and integrity of assessments. Proposed solutions included CCTV surveillance, biometric verification, and data analytics. However, Namigadde emphasized that sustainable solutions require more than technology: building a culture of honesty and accountability among students, teachers, parents, and communities is critical (Namigadde, 2025). A Shared Call to Action Across all the presentations, one message was clear: technology alone cannot transform education. It must be guided by values of fairness, inclusion, and cultural relevance and powered by people: teachers, learners, parents, and policymakers. As one speaker reflected, “Africa cannot afford to be the missing continent in the digital revolution, but neither can it lose sight of the human factor that ensures education remains meaningful and just.” The conference ended not with final answers, but with renewed determination: to build an education system where technology helps every child to learn, every talent to shine, and every assessment count. @samsonsitta07

July 25, 2025 - In Blogs By ALiVE Admin 0

ALiVE Breathes Values and Life Skills into Kenya’s Pastoralist Communities

Aridity may plague their surroundings, but their enduring resilience tells their stories beyond the scorched borders. Their cultures still weave in values and life skills albeit the domineering digital disruptions. They are open to talk and open to learn. This is a highlight of ALiVE’s community dialogues aimed at promoting life skills and values in Isiolo, Kenya. In the heart of Isiolo County resides the heat of the sun. It shines too bright and too hot as to crack the ground! Therefore, a large indigenous tree shade makes for a conference hall in mid-March. Even so, nothing is certain with regards to the weather patterns. We arrive at Kambi ya Juu Integrated School with the rain that disrupts an otherwise grounded meeting with community members (parents and education leaders). We all run to one of the classrooms and camp there until the rain subsides, just enough to let us hear our voices, under the yelling iron sheet roofs. When we settle down, one truth sinks in: modern realities present unique challenges in nurturing and promoting life skills and values, even in this conservative community. “Mobile phones have taken over family conversations. Nowadays, everyone hibernates to their devices in the evening to catch up with the rest of the world, while losing out on family dialogues that we grew up enjoying and learning life through,” laments a mother. “Through the same phones, young people are exposed to evil. Alcohol and substance abuse are coated in appealing content, and this misleads our children. You don’t know who is talking to your child anymore, or what they are watching or reading. Besides, the children themselves do not feel free to share their lives with adults. How then do you nurture values?” asks a father. Such unsettling realities justify the relevance of the Action for Life Skills and Values in East Africa, (ALiVE) initiative. ALiVE’s core business is to support education systems and communities, to enable children and adolescents to acquire core competencies (generic skills/life skills and values) that help them navigate life through school and beyond. ALiVE Regional Summit 2025 In March 2025, ALiVE held its second regional summit in Isiolo, Kenya. It brought together key system actors in education from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania mainland, and Zanzibar. The summit sought to unpack ALiVE’s theory of change to make meaning of the connection between national-level change and school or community-level changes that directly impact children. The overall message was that life skills and values drive success and help individuals and societies coexist and progress meaningfully. Skills like problem solving, collaboration, digital literacy, and the values like responsibility, respect, and love, are very important for our children. They drive success. Therefore, we support public education systems so that they can deliver on both the academic curriculum and nurture life skills for a more holistic learner development. Dr. John Mugo ALiVE Principal Investigator The summit also gathered government officials from across East Africa. “We live in a society where integrity has cracks. So how do we build values such as accountability in our children? We must not only teach them but also model them so that our children can copy them along. At the end of the day the character of our children impacts all of us. You will not enjoy riding your car with a child who has lost their values and comes to steal your phone. You will not enjoy your home when somebody breaks in and robs you of your property because they have lost their minds to drugs. It is therefore our collective responsibility to shape our children’s character. I want to thank the collaborative efforts through ALiVE initiative, because of the changes we are seeing so far.” said Dr. Grace Baguma, the Deputy Executive Director of the National Curriculum Development Council in Uganda. ALiVE Principal Investigator Dr. John Mugo speaks during one of the community dialogues in Isiolo. The weeklong regional summit was the climax of the celebration of the key milestones which ALiVE has achieved in its 5 years of operation, including: stronger relationships with system agencies; the finalization of frameworks, tools and materials for embedding life skills and values in education curricula, teacher training and assessment; and the training support to 818 system actors to institutionalize these competences. The notable achievements also include significant knowledge sharing and policy influence at national and global events; leadership development through a distributed leadership model and staff transitions, gender programming, the institutionalization of RELI Africa, and securing more funding. Collaborating to promote core competencies across East Africa ALiVE’s collaborative approach positions it to work with both government and non-governmental organizations. This is aimed to support education systems in East Africa, to embed as well as assess core-competencies within their respective education curricula. “Our approach is to work with government institutions because there are various institutions that oversee the CBC implementation. We do not believe in blame games, but we take the approach of cocreating and collaborating with government agencies to ease the implementation of CBC. For instance, we are working with teacher educators, to develop content that integrates life skills and values. This will enable the trained teachers to embrace core-competencies and be able to nurture and assess them once they are deployed,” noted Dr. Mugo. ALiVE thrives in co-creation to build ownership and foster learning, in the journey of core-competencies (also known as life skills and values). We appreciate the fact that skills cannot be assessed the same way as academic work is tested. That is why ALiVE develops tools and build capacities of teachers, trainers, parents and community leaders, so that they can sustainably nurture as well as support the assessment of life skills and values. Khadija Shariff ALiVE Co-PI, Assessment Shift ALiVE exists to generate and share evidence that would enhance the implementation of competency-based education across East Africa. “The evidence and data that ALiVE co-creates and shares forms part of the critical pillar needed to support a shift towards a competency-based curriculum that delivers value-based education,” said Dr.

July 25, 2025 - In Blogs By ALiVE Admin 0

My Turbulent yet Triumphant Trip to the ALiVE Summit 2025

I was just two months into my internship when the second ALiVE regional summit came calling. I was eager to meet the regional teams whom I had only known but through emails. I wanted to understand life skills and values deeper. I desired to interact with policy players and sieve into the ALiVE team’s wisdom into systems shift. My many miles journey began with a mess, but I missed nothing in the end. My name is Janet Musyoka. The dream Journey Roosters crowing, skies rumbling, and me, bright-eyed and ready to conquer the Action for Life Skills and Values in East Africa (ALiVE) Summit in Isiolo. I thought I had it all figured out. I got a call from my team leader, cool as ever, saying, “We’ll pick you up at Makutano junction, please be there in time.” A golden chance! I thought to myself, “This is my moment to shine. I would be early, waiting with a smile, to be picked,” I promised. Then, the storm hit hard! It started raining. The kind of rain that does not fall, it pounds! The drenched Mwea roads know no matatu. When it rains even motorbikes disappear. It took forever, but I finally flagged one down. The rider looked at me like I had just asked for directions to Mordor, nonetheless we set off. Eventually, I roved into Makutano junction; muddy, sweaty, and not at all the punctual hero I had envisioned. My team was already there, giving me that look of concern and probably thinking, “Did she wrestle a camel on her way here?” I learned patience and respect as the team leader calmly allowed me to board. I noted with a ton of remorse that some of the passengers in the bus had begun their journeys at midnight only to come and camp at Makutano, waiting for the late intern! I should have called to state my state. I should have communicated clearly without offering uncertain hope of my arrival time. Problem-solving 101, score zero! I should have arranged to be picked up on the second trip. Despite the chaos, the ditches, the rain, and the drain, the ALiVE Summit was worth it. Arrival at Isiolo Just when our journey had left us weary, the natural world stepped in to rejuvenate our spirits. The summit was hosted at a hotel in the middle of the Buffalo Springs National Reserve and the sight of the wildlife quickly erased any traces of exhaustion. As our team gathered to witness the stunning sights: a cheetah gracefully patrolling its domain, gazelles bouncing across the plains, towering giraffes nibbling at treetops, and playful waterbucks frolicking in the distance—their tired faces lit up with wonder. It was nature’s own energy boost, a wild reminder of the beauty that exists even when life’s journey gets murky. Then Came the Summit! From the moment I set foot in the conference hall on the morning of March 11,2025, I knew this summit was going to be more than just another professional gathering. It felt like a movement. The Action for Life Skills and Values in East Africa (ALiVE) had organized its second regional summit in Isiolo, Kenya. The summit brought together a dynamic group of civil society organizations (ALiVE partners), researchers, policymakers, and community advocates from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and Zanzibar. The discussions were focused on the pressing issues in translating systems change to impact on children and communities. The summit also celebrated the five-year milestones of the ALiVE initiative. The present powerhouse of minds unpacked ALiVE’s theory of change and explored how national-level shifts trickle down to real impact in schools and homes. Dr. John Mugo, ALiVE Principal Investigator and the Executive Director of Zizi Afrique Foundation, made the introductory remarks. He stated a four-point purpose of the summit: take stock, align, bond and celebrate. Isiolo County’s Deputy Governor who officially opened the summit, welcomed participants to Isiolo and challenged us to ensure that education addresses the needs of local and pastoralist economies. He also lobbied for deeper collaboration between ALiVE and other agencies, “ALiVE will be alive not to leave anyone behind. If you’re alive, you should be in ALiVE,” he said. With the vibe set, we had dived into group reflections, celebrating the gains and pains through ALiVE’s half a decade of operation. Dr. Mary Goretti Nakabugo, ALiVE Co-Principal investigator and the Executive Director at Uwezo Uganda, grounded us in ALiVE’s systems change model. She likened it to a four-legged stool – held up by curriculum, assessment, teacher training, and parental involvement. “Take one leg out and the stool gets wobbly!” She noted. The power panel praised milestones and poked gaps while presenting possible partnership areas around life skills and values (also known as core-competencies in Kenya and generic skills in Uganda). “For a long time, we only valued basic research. We are not taking serious research on practice,” noted Prof. Jackline Nyere of Kenyatta University. ALiVE embraces a collaborative approach in working with government and other education stakeholders. “Collaboration with government implies aligning to the mandate of the targeted institutions. It is useful for non-state actors to align their planning with the national government budgetary cycle,” emphasized Dr. Purity Ngina, the CEO, National Gender and Equality Commission. A community dialogue session in which ALiVE engaged parents on nurturing life skills and values Day two of the summit opened in the field. We visited Elsa Primary School located just a few kilometres outside Isiolo town. After the warm performances, the learners settled down in class while we spoke with the parents. “We appreciate the support from ALiVE and other stakeholders who contribute to real change, not just in the learning outcomes but in our learners’ attitudes,” observed a teacher. The values lessons flow between school and home. “We teach our children responsibility at home; like washing their own uniforms and helping in the kitchen garden. It’s our way of supporting what they learn in school,” said a parent. It was a powerful reminder that while assessments matter,

July 24, 2025 - In Blogs‚ Explore and Learn By ALiVE Admin 0

Why we Need to Rethink Collaboration: Lessons from Utrecht

How can people from different parts of the world come together to profoundly change education systems not just on paper, but in real life? That was the big question at the Global Partnerships for Life Skills Education Conference, held in June 2025 at the Utrecht University in the Netherlands. I was lucky to be part of this gathering, where educators, researchers, funders, and policymakers from across Africa and Europe came together. We did not just talk about life skills, we talked about how we work together, who leads, who listens, and how to build partnerships that matter. This was no ordinary conference. It was an open pot of conversations, sometimes hot and uncomfortable, yet full of big ideas about how to shift power, build trust, and make education more meaningful for young people, especially in Africa. Moving Past Old Models of Collaboration One of the most powerful sessions of the conference included a honest conversation about how international partnerships often work and how they need to change. A number of issues, concerns and proposals emerged from these deliberations. One of the concerns that emerged was that, too often, big ideas in education are crafted in Europe or North America, then simply sent over to African countries. Local experts are asked to “adapt” or “implement” these ideas but rarely lead the work themselves. This top-down model is outdated, and frankly, unfair. Secondly, the researchers reminded us that African countries have the knowledge, experience, and creativity needed to lead their own education reforms. Consequently, what they need are equal partners not just donors or advisors. We also spoke about the challenges of working through partnerships. That, different partners often have diverse ways of working. And that sometimes, they may use different terms, have different expectations, or follow different timelines. But these challenges can be solved if there’s clear communication and mutual respect. Funding, Publishing, and the Problem of Recognition. Of course, research hinges on resources. However, getting funding for African-led work remains a challenge. Many global funds still flow through institutions in the Global North, and African organizations often end up as sub-partners instead of leaders. Recent analysis by the Education Sub-Sahara Africa (ESSA) established that, research is grossly under-funded in Africa and accounts for just two percent of the global output, with dismal output level from women and early-career researchers. Only 10 percent of the accessible research is funded, and even this is funded from external sources. The situation constrains research training and progression of young researchers. Publishing is another issue. African researchers struggle to get their work into top international journals. These journals often do not value locally driven or community-based research. To fix this, we discussed setting up our own journals or pushing for special editions in existing ones (those that center African voices and ideas). We also reflected on how research success is often measured using tools like the H-index or impact factor. These were developed in Western academic systems and do not always reflect what is valuable in African contexts. Instead of asking how many papers someone has published, we need to ask the extent to which the work changed lives? The ALiVE Experience and What Lies Ahead. Dr. John Mugo the Principal Investigator of ALiVE presents at the conference For our team at Action for Life Skills and Values in East Africa (ALiVE) initiative, the conference was a great chance to share what we have been doing and to connect with others working on similar goals. We spoke about how we have been collaborating with different stakeholders including government agencies to better understand and nurture life skills and values in our education systems. The sessions gave us innovative ideas on how to move forward. We are now exploring ways to co-author research papers with international partners and even launch peer learning simulations. Most importantly, we came away with a renewed belief that African voices must not just be included, they must lead. A New Way of Working Together In conclusion, one of the things that made this conference different was its spirit. It was not just about networking or presenting research ideas. It was about rethinking how we work together. My key takeaway was that, collaboration is not just about signing agreements or organizing meetings. True collaboration means sharing power, building trust, and creating space for everyone’s voice. It means seeing African partners not as “beneficiaries” but as co-creators. At a time when global funding is shifting and institutions like USAID are pulling back, we need to find new ways to sustainably support each other. That might mean building regional alliances, designing locally funded programs, or simply listening better. The future of education, especially life skills education depends on this. Not just what we teach, but how we come together to make it happen. By David Alelah – Regional MEL Coordinator, ALiVE

April 4, 2025 - In Blogs By ALiVE Admin 0

CIES-2024_Implications of ALiVE findings on policy and practice.

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November 4, 2024 - In Blogs By ALiVE Admin 0

Staff and organizational Learning tools for growing‘Workplace Universities’

By Stephen Macharia, PhD- Lecturer and Head of Strathmore Writing Centre School of Humanities and Social Sciences Ray Stata, an American management guru and investor, wrote, “The rate at which individuals and organisations learn may become the only sustainable competitive advantage, especially in knowledge-intensive industries.” Those words are as important to a modern-day organisation as they were in the 80s’ when they were written. Similarly, in the conclusion of an annual report, General Electric chairman wrote: “I finally recognised why we are so successful: it is because we are a learning organisation.” Coming from renowned managers of top corporates in the world, those statements are a pointer to the importance of organizational learning. In the current dynamic world of work where change and growth have been taking place at unprecedented levels, organizations must build a culture of learning. A progressive organization needs to position learning and continuous improvement of people and systems at the core of its focus. In line with that, the concept and practice of learning organisations is on the rise. Some organisations have developed booklets that have been useful in helping them craft superior products based on the lessons gathered from previous ones. Such organisations are becoming ‘workplace universities’ where learning and institutional knowledge are part of their routine practice. They gather, produce, analyse, retain, and transfer knowledge for the purpose of self and quality improvement. Learning organisations depend on data gathered from their day-to-day experiences with a view to boosting productivity and efficiency in their operations. They benefit from their past experiences and lessons from others. Besides growing leaders and employees who are well equipped to collect, analyse, manage, and transfer knowledge, such organisations also benefit from seamless succession management. Learning organisations are also able to develop systems that adapt to change in a rapidly evolving operating environment. They are often resilient and futuristic in their perspectives. Despite the benefits that organisations are likely to accrue from making deliberate efforts to learn, several bottlenecks have hindered this practice. The Harvard Business Review identifies three core barriers to creating learning organisations which include difficulties in implementing abstract recommendations; focusing learning on executives, excluding managers in charge of small departments where the actual work is done, and lack of standards and tools for collecting data to be analysed for creating knowledge for institutional learning. In a bid to respond to the need to develop values and life skills as invaluable competences in the East African school curriculum, the Regional Educational Learning Initiative (RELI) unveiled an initiative known as, Action for Life Skills and Values in East Africa (ALiVE). This initiative has, in its first phase, developed context-specific tools for assessing life skills in adolescents within the region. After developing context-relevant, open-sourced tools for assessing life skills in East Africa, ALiVE has now developed tools for organizational learning to bridge an existing gap. The tools have been informed by various models and frameworks that include the New World Kirkpatrick model, Brookfield self-directed learning, SMEDAN Learn shop criteria, Kolb, Gibbs, Schon and Experience, Reflection and Action among others. Through development of these tools, ALiVE aims at contributing to the practice and conversation on organizational learning and global discourse on knowledge generation from the global south. The developed tools have already been used by institutions involved in the ALiVE project in recent write shops, learn shops, and workshops. Government agencies, non-governmental organisations and private sector institutions can use those open-source tools to assess their capacity to learn and improve their practice through organizational learning.

November 4, 2024 - In Blogs By ALiVE Admin 0

Volleyball Lifts Kwanthanze School Girls to theWorld Stage

By Ray Pollo, Senior Officer – Communications Before many can even pronounce their school’s name properly, girls at Kwanthanze Mixed Secondary School in Machakos County, in Kenya, have already perched their presence on the world map through sport. They are the towering African giants in the game of volleyball. They have lifted the Kenya national volleyball championship trophy as well as the East African cup multiple times. Their peers often see dust when they play. No wonder a local daily once tagged Kwanthanze, ‘a hotbed of volleyball talent in Kenya’ and it arguably seems to be, going by their streak and stay on top of the game. “National team coaches come to visit us because they know that Kwanthanze is the nursery of the Kenyan national volleyball team,” said Justin Kigwari, the team’s coach who also teaches at Kwanthanze. A young team which sprouted in 2010, only armed with passion and scanty training equipment, has risen through the years to become giants who have marked their territory on the volleyball pitch. “It was a simple start, starved of training kits and equipment. The girls have earned their space by sheer hard work, respect, and sustained team spirit. Their resilience has been amazing,” explained Kigwari. Kwanthanze’s bright star shone in 2013 and 2014 when, for the first time, they clinched both the national and east African cups in a row. Their dominance was, however, startled in 2015 and they had to settle for the second position in both national and regional games. In 2016, they did not see one mesh of a door to the national or regional tournaments. However, they intensified training, with fresh energy replacing girls who had graduated from the school to higher institutions of learning. “The loss helped us to evaluate our team and strategize until the girls rose up again to spike their way back to the top,” Kigwari noted. In 2017, Kwanthanze team regained their grip of the national cup and did not let it slip away until 2023, when Kesogon Girls from Trans Nzoia County whipped them out of the cup. Nonetheless, Kwanthanze girls went ahead to reclaim the regional title and are the reigning East African champions in the game. “I feel proud to be part of the winning team. Very proud. I am happy that our hard work has paid off,” Observed a smiley Fridah Boke who is the captain of Kwnathanze Girls Volleyball Team. On October 16, 2023, a team from Zizi Afrique Foundation visited the school to appreciate the secret to the girl’s winning ways. The visit was spearheaded by Action for Life Skills and Values in East Africa (ALiVE) program. We learned that through Kwanthanze volleyball team’s victories and losses, there is a common thread that interweaves resilience and teamwork. “The girls thrive in simplicity and humility. These alongside respect and responsibility, are the values we encourage, and we ensure they do not veer off their academic paths,” said Anthony Kitungi, the Principal at Kwanthanze Mixed Secondary School. “Sure,” says Coach Kigwari, “The backbone of any talent is discipline. We instil values of respect in the girls so that they do not neglect their academic work. After winning, we settle down and talk to them and let them know that there is more to life than just being volleyball champions. We make them aware of the destructiveness of being celebrities and feeling that they are on top of everything. We also challenge ourselves to cushion them so that they do not neglect their primary duty as students, the books! In short, we help them walk in the path of humility as talented students and players.” The girls cut their hair short as if it were part of their school uniform. They do not have sophisticated games gear, but every evening, they dare the dusty Ukambani grounds, to scale new heights in the tall game. Another skill which is hard to ignore is that of collaboration. The girls coordinate their game like a harmonious band spewing a classical rendition in the air. There is no one touch! The ball bounces creatively through three pairs of hands, as much as it is in the girls’ power to do so. Their pitch of communication and collaboration speaks maturity. They focus on the ball not on faults. When a team member flops, she is cheered up and when a win emerges, all celebrate and ready for the greater task ahead. We are curious to know whether these skills extend to the classroom. After a whole afternoon of playing and talking with the girls, staff members from Zizi Afrique Foundation honoured the team with new games kits and a token for lunch. They also engaged the girls on life skills and values that are useful both at school and beyond. The Foundation is keen on nurturing life skills and values and promoting sports as a motivation for wholesome development of learners. Meanwhile, hard work, teamwork and determination has earned Kwanthanze girls a ticket to Europe. In 2024 they will be heading to Serbia for the world championships. Kwanthaze principal promised that in the Serbia games, the girls will play in kits donated by Zizi Afrique Foundation as an honour to the organization and as icons of values from the heart of Africa. “Our prayer is to go and win for Africa at the world championship in Serbia,” Kigwari implored. We wish the team success as they prepare to showcase their talent to the world!