This innovation was developed to address the needs of children affected by emergencies and those growing up in low-income or rural communities where access to education is limited or absent. Recognizing that learning cannot occur in isolation, the program integrates academic support with essential services such as health and nutrition, clean water and hygiene, psychosocial care, life skills training, vocational development for youth, and livelihood support for mothers. Its multi-component design ensures a holistic approach to child and community development. Over time, we found that embedding the program within communities enhances sustainability and scalability. To maximize impact, the model was created to be replicable and adaptable across diverse contexts, ensuring inclusivity and active participation of children with disabilities. By combining education with broader social support, this innovation empowers communities to build resilience and create lasting opportunities for their children.
Our Transitional Learning Centres (TLCs) serve as vibrant, multi-purpose hubs supporting children, youth, and families. During school hours, they provide formal classes integrated with our Lunch at School Initiative to meet nutritional needs, alongside creative sessions for psychosocial support, life skills, hygiene, and health education woven into the national curriculum. Afterschool programs extend learning through our Set for Success Initiative (homework help and accelerated learning), agri-vocational training for youth, and adult literacy and livelihood support for mothers through the T.H.E.M. Initiative (Transforming Homes by Empowering Mothers). In partnership with other organizations, we also deliver targeted health and hygiene sessions, including menstrual health and sexual safety education for adolescent girls. With strong emphasis on security, TLCs are safe, welcoming environments where learners and staff feel protected, enabling education and development to thrive.
Our Transitional Learning Centres (TLCs) are already active, serving as safe, multi-purpose hubs for children, youth, and families. Each centre delivers formal classes supported by our Lunch at School Initiative, ensuring both education and nutrition. Integrated creative sessions provide psychosocial support, life skills, hygiene, and health education. Afterschool programs strengthen learning through the Set for Success Initiative (homework help and accelerated learning), while youth gain agri-vocational skills and mothers benefit from adult literacy and livelihood support via the T.H.E.M. Initiative (Transforming Homes by Empowering Mothers). Regular partnerships extend impact with health and hygiene education, including menstrual health and sexual safety for adolescent girls. With strong emphasis on security, TLCs have become trusted safe spaces where learners thrive. Already reaching communities in need, the model demonstrates measurable improvements in literacy, nutrition, and family resilience, proving its sustainability and scalability.
We are actively implementing cost-saving innovations to strengthen impact and sustainability. To reduce the financial burden of our Lunch at School program, we introduced school farms, which now supply fresh produce while serving as practical agricultural learning spaces for students, especially at the secondary level. This dual benefit lowers food expenses and equips learners with vocational skills that enhance future opportunities. Originally focused on early childhood and primary education, the program has successfully expanded to junior secondary school, with the 2025/2026 academic year marking our pilot phase. This expansion demonstrates both scalability and adaptability, ensuring that more children benefit from integrated education, nutrition, and skill-building. By combining cost efficiency with measurable outcomes—improved literacy, nutrition, and vocational readiness—we continue to deliver a model that is sustainable, replicable, and impactful for communities most in need.
We would suggest beginning with community engagement: consulting local leaders, parents, and youth to ensure cultural relevance and ownership. The multi-component design that integrates academics with nutrition, hygiene, psychosocial support, and vocational training is imperative, and this is better through partnerships with NGOs, schools, and health providers to leverage resources and expertise. Develop school farms or similar cost-saving initiatives helps to sustain the feeding programs while offering practical learning. Invest in capacity building by training teachers, facilitators, and volunteers to run programs independently. Ensure safe spaces by prioritizing security and child protection measures. Pilot the model in one community, collect data on outcomes (literacy, nutrition, livelihoods), and use evidence to refine and advocate for policy integration. Design the program to be modular and adaptable, allowing replication across diverse contexts, including provisions for children with disabilities. Finally, secure diverse funding streams and encourage peer-to-peer learning between communities to scale sustainably.
