Philanthropic support to help governments strengthen early childhood education

Only 26 per cent of children in Sub-Saharan Africa regularly attend an early childhood development programme, leaving millions to begin school without the foundational skills needed to learn and thrive.

Against this backdrop, LGT Venture Philanthropy (LGT VP) has renewed its support for non-profit organisation Lively Minds to help expand quality early learning through public education systems.

The renewed partnership, announced on 7 July, comes as Lively Minds shifts its focus towards advising governments on how to design and roll out affordable early childhood programmes that can be sustained with public funding.

The approach has already delivered results in Ghana. In 2025, the government trained 136,000 mothers to provide nurturing care at school and at home, reaching more than 304,000 children through 3,900 community-run playgroups.

The programme is now fully owned and financed by the government, with Lively Minds providing technical support. Independent evaluations have also reported improvements in children’s cognitive, social, emotional and motor development.

The organisation is now working with governments in Ethiopia’s Oromia Region and The Gambia as it adapts the approach to different country contexts.

“We are proud of the work Lively Minds has achieved, particularly in securing government adoption of their model in Ghana,” said Marcia Parada, Investment Director at LGT Venture Philanthropy.

“We are excited to continue this journey together as more countries pursue sustainable, locally owned solutions for early childhood development.”

Lively Minds Chief Executive Officer Alison Naftalin said the continued support would help demonstrate that long-term change is possible when governments take ownership of programmes from the beginning, allowing proven solutions to reach more children and families.