We recently concluded the Daara Year 2 Learning Retreat in Saly, Senegal, bringing together 33 partners from 16 organisations working to strengthen foundational literacy and numeracy across Sub-Saharan Africa. The retreat centred on a shared priority: how to support government-led education reform through cost-effective, scalable innovation. Through a panel discussion featuring Mr. Samba Gaye from the Senegalese Ministry of National Education, group working sessions, and classroom observations in schools across Fatick and Bambey, partners explored what it truly takes to collaborate effectively with governments to implement innovation at a national scale. Discussions underscored the importance of aligning with government-led reforms and co-designing solutions that can be endorsed, owned, and sustained by public institutions while remaining realistic in terms of cost, capacity, and long-term implementation. Participants shared candid reflections on both successes and challenges in NGO–government collaboration. Key enablers emerged consistently: clear governance structures, well-defined roles, strategic entry points, trust-based relationships, accountability, and strong leadership. One message stood out clearly: scaling innovative foundational learning programmes requires collaboration that is intentional, inclusive, and grounded in the realities of public education systems. No single actor can achieve this alone. Partners also drew inspiration from ARED and LARTES’ organisational journeys as our retreat co-hosts. In thoughtful conversations with Mamadou Ly, Awa Ka Dia and Abdou Sarr, participants reflected on how ARED’s leadership and programmatic approaches have evolved over time adapting to complexity, navigating change, and building the capabilities needed for sustained impact. Sessions also examined how both ARED and LARTES (represented by Prof. Rokhaya Cisse and Binta Rassouloula Aw) use evidence to inform policy and practice in close partnership with government. Their experiences highlighted the organisational and programmatic foundations that underpin durable collaboration with local and national authorities. The retreat further provided space to set shared priorities for 2026, reflect on Daara’s future direction, and award Innovation Fund grants to initiatives with strong potential for system-level impact. Ultimately, the retreat reaffirmed Daara’s commitment not only to fostering innovation, but to supporting partners to translate innovation into sustained, large-scale improvements in foundational learning outcomes through effective government collaboration. We extend our sincere thanks to ARED and LARTES for hosting us with such warmth and the true spirit of Teranga, to the Ministry of National Education of Senegal, and to the Gates Foundation, particularly Izzy Boggild-Jones and Clio Dintilhac, for their continued partnership and support. Together, these collaborations demonstrate what is possible when complementary actors align around a shared goal: improving foundational learning for all children. We look forward to the next retreat! Daara Learning Retreat in Saly Gallery

From 12 to 14 August 2025, fifteen outstanding organizations from across Africa came together in Nairobi for an in-person learning retreat of the Daara Development Academy. What united them was a bold vision: ensuring better education outcomes for all children, in every context. This gathering also marked a powerful step in building a stronger, more connected community of leaders dedicated to transforming education across Africa. Over three days, participants strengthened bonds and deepened their sense of community, exchanged knowledge by sharing expertise, questioning assumptions, and learning from one another and built practical skills to measure impact and collaborate more effectively with governments. The retreat was further enriched by the voices of inspiring keynote speakers: Madame Ruth Kagia (Senior Education Advisor, Kenya), who emphasized the power of bold, system-level influence Professor Hellen Inyega (University of Nairobi), who shared insights on leading in times of change by fostering government partnerships for sustainability and scale Christine Harris-Van Keuren (Founder, Salt Analytics), who equipped organizations with practical tools to partner with governments for impact at scale In addition, participants worked with Better Purpose to strengthen their organizational impact systems. Feedback was overwhelmingly positive — they valued the hands-on skill-building in monitoring & evaluation and cost analysis, as well as the authentic relationships forged across the network. One participant summed it up perfectly: “The retreat shifted my mindset from seeing tools like M&E and cost analysis as internal reporting requirements to viewing them as strategic levers for engaging government partners and embedding our work into national education systems.”   This initiative was made possible thanks to the generous support of the Global Education Team at the Gates Foundation. The retreat closed with participants leaving Nairobi inspired, better connected, and better equipped to make a difference — together.

What happens when African-rooted organisations come together to co-create solutions for foundational learning? At hashtag#CIES2025, Pumza Ndamase shared reflections from an ongoing knowledge exchange between TaRL Africa, ARED, and Funda Wande – a collaboration spanning Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal, and South Africa. Together, we are learning what it really takes to localize instruction, strengthen teacher support, and scale with quality. The partnership centers African-grown innovations – from bilingual teaching practices to the use of low-cost, locally made materials, and tackles persistent challenges like large class sizes and absenteeism. Swipe to explore the insights and lessons from this cross-country exchange. This learning exchange was facilitated by an innovation grant for Daara Development Academy members, funded by the Gates Foundation. hashtag#FoundationalLearning hashtag#TaRLAfrica hashtag#CIES2025 hashtag#EducationInnovation hashtag#TeacherSupport hashtag#FLNAfrica   Source: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/tarl-africa_cies-2025-recap-knowledge-exchange-series-activity-7317901097325465600-9Vwy/