Daara Development Academy for Sub-Saharan African implementers of foundational learning 

Daara Development Academy for Sub-Saharan African implementers of foundational learning 

We are facing a global learning crisis whereby millions of children are in school but are not learning at satisfactory levels. Learning outcomes within Sub-Saharan Africa are particularly dire, with 9/10 children not able to read with comprehension by 10 years of age (compared to 9/10 children in high-income countries).

To improve the quality of education, a rigorous focus on teaching and learning is needed, combined with local contextual solutions, led by local implementers.

The Daara Development Academy (Daara) aims to strengthen the capacity of local implementers within Sub-Saharan Africa, to champion and enhance their efforts in advancing learning outcomes at scale. The Program has been co-created by 11 organizations across Sub-Saharan Africa, coordinated by Better Purpose, and funded by the Gates Foundation. The Program has five primary learning goals which focus on the biggest barriers to each organization in achieving its strategic aims:

• Building pedagogical excellence – strengthening organizations’ understanding of the science of teaching and learning, how to effectively translate this into classroom practice and programming.
• Using and generating evidence – solidifying organizations’ approaches to leveraging data ensuring programming and impact is evidence-driven. 
• Moving successfully to scale – supporting organizations to design programs for scale, to work effectively with government.
• Managing talent to build the organization – reinforcing organizations’ talent management strategies ensuring fit for organization and market.
• Strengthening fundraising capability – supporting organizations to enrich their understanding and engagement with the funder landscape. 

Learning will happen through study tours, expert lectures, workshops, conferences, coaching, consultancy support and technical assistance, with a focus on collaboration and peer learning amongst the cohort. The Program will also comprise of an Innovation Fund. This is a central fund designed for Daara Partners to propose and bid for collaborative projects seeking to improve FLN outcomes.

Ultimately, Daara aims to better equip local Sub-Saharan African organizations to that they can lead the transformation of education for children in Africa, resulting in drastically improved learning outcomes. If the first cohort shows signs of success, it could continue for future cohorts, and we will be seeking a Sub-Saharan Africa based grant manager to take over the role from Better Purpose. If you would like to know more about Daara, its organizations or how you can support the Program, please get in touch with simi.otusanya@betterpurpose.co or rigobert.pambe@betterpurpose.co