20 November, 14:00 GMT
Register for the first in a new webinar series: Thrive in Conversation
The Sugira Muryango (Strengthen the Family) programme in Rwanda is an intervention aimed at reducing domestic violence and boosting early childhood development in families facing extreme poverty and post-conflict trauma. It is a collaboration between the Government of Rwanda, the University of Rwanda, Boston College Research Program on Children and Adversity (RPCA) and FXB Rwanda, a local NGO.
Research evidence has demonstrated Sugira Muryango’s effectiveness, and the intervention is now being scaled. In 2021, a study on the PLAY (Promoting Lasting Anthropometric Change and Young Children’s Development) Collaborative as an implementation strategy for scaling Sugira Muryango was conducted. The PLAY Collaborative promotes multi-level buy-in and establishes structural and procedural supports necessary for system-wide scaling while maintaining and improving quality and sustainability. The study assessed delivery quality, perceptions of the PLAY Collaborative, and the effectiveness of Sugira Muryango when delivered by child protection volunteers – a social service workforce that could facilitate further scaling.
In this conversation, Theresa S Betancourt and the RPCA team will discuss what the findings mean for delivering early childhood development interventions at scale. They will be joined by Gilbert Munyemana from Rwanda’s National Child Development Agency to think about policy implications, and the role that scientific research has played in decision making on early childhood development in Rwanda.
About the series
We know that investing in early childhood is transformative for both children and societies in low- and middle-income countries but there are gaps in our knowledge about how to move from pilot to scale and how to ensure long-term quality.
The exchange of insights and ideas between researchers and policymakers is a vital part of bridging these gaps – ensuring that new research addresses the questions most relevant to national decision makers, and that early childhood development policies are grounded in evidence about what works at scale.
This discussion series from Thrive brings together policymakers, practitioners and researchers to explore the latest evidence related to scaling early childhood development programmes in low- and middle-income countries. Conversations will explore the key takeaways from research highlighted in the Thrive What to Read newsletter and delve into how new evidence can help to inform diverse policy and research agendas associated with scaling.
What to expect?
Attendees can take part in live Q&As with leading experts and be part of a growing community of knowledge shaping the future of early childhood development programming.