A Teacher Training Programme in Southern Africa: Improving Early Childhood Development Outcomes

The Perivoli Schools Trust is a locally-led teacher training programme focused on practical, scalable approaches to early childhood development. To date, we have trained over 36,000 teachers across eight countries in Southern and Sub-Saharan Africa.

Scaling Quality Early Years Education Across Africa

Research shows that up to 90% of a child’s brain development happens before the age of five, underscoring the importance of supporting nursery teachers with access to structured training and high-quality early learning resources.

The benefits of strong early education are far-reaching. When girls in particular receive a solid foundation in their early years, they are more likely to stay in school longer, delay early motherhood, achieve greater economic independence, and raise healthier families.

Perivoli Schools Trust exists to improve livelihood outcomes through early childhood education. Not with imported models, but with a locally-designed, locally-led approach built for the communities we serve. We train nursery school teachers across Sub-Saharan Africa to build stimulating learning environments from locally available recyclable materials. Training comprises 16 modules across a 2-year programme, and teachers are mentored in class visits on a bi-monthly basis. This works out at a cost of just USD $3 per child per year.

VIEW REPORTS & RESEARCH

Child using recycled bottle tops for a hands-on play-based learning activity in a classroom in Malawi

How We Work

Perivoli Schools Trust has been delivering early childhood development programmes in Africa since 2013, working across Sub-Saharan Africa to strengthen early learning systems in low-income contexts. Strategic oversight is provided by founder James Alexandroff OBE, who established the organisation through the Perivoli Foundation.

The programme is led operationally by joint CEOs Maya Kafuwa and Titan Madomba, a husband-and-wife team from Malawi. Senior Trainers support them in coordinating delivery across countries, ensuring alignment with ECD workforce professionalisation strategies and consistent implementation of training for nursery and pre-primary teachers in Southern Africa.

All trainers are recruited locally and work within their own communities, supporting community education programmes and ensuring culturally relevant delivery of an activity-based early learning curriculum for Africa. They are organised into teams led by Regional Coordinators, who report to Senior Regional Coordinators. This layered structure strengthens education systems and enables scalable delivery of early learning interventions in Africa.

Locally Led, Low-Cost Training

We equip teachers with practical tools for early learning activities and preschool curriculum delivery, using locally available classroom resources and simple classroom activities using recycled materials. This supports how to train nursery school teachers using low-cost materials while improving early learning outcomes and primary school readiness.

Digitally Supported

Trainers use tablets to collect education data in Africa, track engagement, and monitor early literacy and numeracy outcomes in resource-poor schools. This enables evidence-based early learning interventions in Africa and supports scalable programme design and continuous improvement.

Independently Verified

The programme has been evaluated through a three-year qualitative study by the Universities of Namibia and Bristol. This contributes to ECD and community adoption research in Namibia and provides robust evidence on early childhood development outcomes in these settings. The Ministry of Education in Zambia have also shown its support by publishing a report on our impact.

Cost Effective & Scalable

The programme is funded by the Perivoli Foundation. The cost of the programme works out at USD 3 per child per year.

Watch our Founder video
There is growing interest across Sub-Saharan Africa in identifying evidence-based approaches to early childhood development, particularly those that can improve early learning outcomes in diverse and resource-constrained settings.

Programmes such as those delivered by Perivoli Schools Trust contribute to the wider body of ECD research in Africa, offering practical insights into scalable models and classroom-based interventions.

Insights from programme implementation and ongoing data collection can help inform efforts to strengthen early childhood development systems, support teacher development, and improve early grade outcomes within existing education structures.

For Teachers & School Leaders

Our approach supports those looking for a practical preschool curriculum, early learning activities, and accessible classroom resources. The modules are designed as an activity-based early learning curriculum for Africa, with simple classroom activities using recycled materials that work in low-resource environments. This enables training for nursery and pre-primary teachers in Africa using cost-effective methods that improve early learning outcomes and primary school readiness. Join a growing network of educators improving outcomes for young children across the region.

For Academics & Research Institutes

We contribute to the evidence base in child development in Southern Africa, with longitudinal datasets, programme insights, and access to a network of over 36,000 teachers. Our work supports studies on low-cost ECD interventions, early literacy and numeracy outcomes in resource-poor schools, and metrics used to assess child literacy development, including the use of IDELA across different classroom settings. We have developed our own in-house M&E tool to track teacher performance, classroom quality and child education outcomes longitudinally. We welcome collaboration on education data in Africa and evidence-based ECD interventions.

For Policymakers & Government Bodies

Our model aligns with national priorities around ECD policy, teacher training in Africa, and education systems strengthening. We support low-cost national ECD interventions, ECD workforce professionalisation strategies, and improving Grade 1 readiness. By working closely with Ministries of Education and local ECD actors, we contribute to scalable early childhood solutions for government adoption and help strengthen early learning systems in low-income contexts through data-driven insights and practical implementation.

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT WORKING WITH US
Perivoli Schools Trust has trained more than 36,000 nursery and pre-primary teachers across seven countries through a free, structured two-year training programme targeting underqualified teachers from resource-constrained areas. The programme focuses on improving learning outcomes for 2-6 year olds in rural and urban areas of Namibia, Zambia, Uganda, Malawi, Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Tanzania. This includes 16 practical modules covering preschool curriculum, classroom planning, early literacy and numeracy, and language development.

Designed for teachers and educators in low-resource settings, the programme focuses on an activity-based early learning curriculum, equipping practitioners with simple, practical classroom activities using recycled and locally available materials. This approach enables effective nursery teacher training at low cost, while strengthening early learning outcomes and supporting children’s readiness for primary school.

In-Service Teacher Training & Ongoing Support

Trainers work with small groups of up to 30 teachers, combining workshops with monthly in-class mentoring and peer support. This in-service ECD teacher training programme helps build confidence and practical skills, while also supporting parent engagement in early learning at home and strengthening community education programmes.

Low-Cost, Activity-Based Learning Environments

A distinctive feature of the model is the creation of 12 activity “corners” — hands-on learning spaces built from everyday materials such as bottle tops, egg trays, cardboard, and natural resources. These support play-based learning interventions and demonstrate how low-cost ECD curriculum materials can be developed for schools, contributing to scalable, cost-effective approaches to early childhood development at a national level.

Building a Sustainable ECD Professional Network

Beyond training, teachers become part of an ongoing professional network — supporting ECD workforce professionalisation strategies, peer learning, and continuous development. This creates a sustainable, scalable approach aligned with strengthening education systems and teacher training in Southern Africa.

Evidence-Based Impact & Research Validation

The programme’s impact contributes to the growing body of ECD research in Africa. It has been independently evaluated by the Universities of Namibia and Bristol, using the internationally recognised IDELA, providing robust education data in Africa and evidence for scalable early childhood solutions for government adoption.

READ MORE ABOUT OUR MODULES

Who We Are

A group of Perivoli Schools Trust trainers gather outdoors, reflecting the teamwork and collaboration across Southern Africa, working to strengthen early childhood education.

Perivoli Schools Trust has been delivering early childhood development programmes in Africa since 2013, working across Sub-Saharan Africa to strengthen early learning systems in low-income contexts. Strategic oversight is provided by founder James Alexandroff OBE, who established the organisation through the Perivoli Foundation.

The programme is led operationally by joint CEOs Maya Kafuwa and Titan Madomba, a husband-and-wife team from Malawi. Senior Trainers support them in coordinating delivery across countries, ensuring alignment with ECD workforce professionalisation strategies and consistent implementation of training for nursery and pre-primary teachers in Southern Africa.

All trainers are recruited locally and work within their own communities, supporting community education programmes and ensuring culturally relevant delivery of an activity-based early learning curriculum for Africa. They are organised into teams led by Regional Coordinators, who report to Senior Regional Coordinators. This layered structure strengthens education systems and enables scalable delivery of early learning interventions in Africa.

Locally Led, Low-Cost Training

We equip teachers with practical tools for early learning activities and preschool curriculum delivery, using locally available classroom resources and simple classroom activities using recycled materials. This supports how to train nursery school teachers using low-cost materials while improving early learning outcomes and primary school readiness.

Digitally Supported

Trainers use tablets to collect education data in Africa, track engagement, and monitor early literacy and numeracy outcomes in resource-poor schools. This enables evidence-based early learning interventions in Africa and supports scalable programme design and continuous improvement.

Independently Verified

The programme has been evaluated through a three-year qualitative study by the Universities of Namibia and Bristol. This contributes to ECD and community adoption research in Namibia and provides robust evidence on early childhood development outcomes in these settings. The Ministry of Education in Zambia have also shown its support by publishing a report on our impact.

Cost Effective & Scalable

The programme is funded by the Perivoli Foundation. The cost of the programme works out at USD 3 per child per year.

Watch our Founder video

Who We Work With

Perivoli Schools Trust teachers celebrate graduation in Southern Africa.

There is growing interest across Sub-Saharan Africa in identifying evidence-based approaches to early childhood development, particularly those that can improve early learning outcomes in diverse and resource-constrained settings.

Programmes such as those delivered by Perivoli Schools Trust contribute to the wider body of ECD research in Africa, offering practical insights into scalable models and classroom-based interventions.

Insights from programme implementation and ongoing data collection can help inform efforts to strengthen early childhood development systems, support teacher development, and improve early grade outcomes within existing education structures.

For Teachers & School Leaders

Our approach supports those looking for a practical preschool curriculum, early learning activities, and accessible classroom resources. The modules are designed as an activity-based early learning curriculum for Africa, with simple classroom activities using recycled materials that work in low-resource environments. This enables training for nursery and pre-primary teachers in Africa using cost-effective methods that improve early learning outcomes and primary school readiness. Join a growing network of educators improving outcomes for young children across the region.

For Academics & Research Institutes

We contribute to the evidence base in child development in Southern Africa, with longitudinal datasets, programme insights, and access to a network of over 36,000 teachers. Our work supports studies on low-cost ECD interventions, early literacy and numeracy outcomes in resource-poor schools, and metrics used to assess child literacy development, including the use of IDELA across different classroom settings. We have developed our own in-house M&E tool to track teacher performance, classroom quality and child education outcomes longitudinally. We welcome collaboration on education data in Africa and evidence-based ECD interventions.

For Policymakers & Government Bodies

Our model aligns with national priorities around ECD policy, teacher training in Africa, and education systems strengthening. We support low-cost national ECD interventions, ECD workforce professionalisation strategies, and improving Grade 1 readiness. By working closely with Ministries of Education and local ECD actors, we contribute to scalable early childhood solutions for government adoption and help strengthen early learning systems in low-income contexts through data-driven insights and practical implementation.

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT WORKING WITH US

Who We Work With

Early childhood teachers receive their Perivoli Certificates after graduating from their teacher training programme in Southern Africa with Perivoli Schools Trust.

Perivoli Schools Trust has trained more than 36,000 nursery and pre-primary teachers across seven countries through a free, structured two-year training programme targeting underqualified teachers from resource-constrained areas. The programme focuses on improving learning outcomes for 2-6 year olds in rural and urban areas of Namibia, Zambia, Uganda, Malawi, Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Tanzania. This includes 16 practical modules covering preschool curriculum, classroom planning, early literacy and numeracy, and language development.

Designed for teachers and educators in low-resource settings, the programme focuses on an activity-based early learning curriculum, equipping practitioners with simple, practical classroom activities using recycled and locally available materials. This approach enables effective nursery teacher training at low cost, while strengthening early learning outcomes and supporting children’s readiness for primary school.

In-Service Teacher Training & Ongoing Support

Trainers work with small groups of up to 30 teachers, combining workshops with monthly in-class mentoring and peer support. This in-service ECD teacher training programme helps build confidence and practical skills, while also supporting parent engagement in early learning at home and strengthening community education programmes.

Low-Cost, Activity-Based Learning Environments

A distinctive feature of the model is the creation of 12 activity “corners” — hands-on learning spaces built from everyday materials such as bottle tops, egg trays, cardboard, and natural resources. These support play-based learning interventions and demonstrate how low-cost ECD curriculum materials can be developed for schools, contributing to scalable, cost-effective approaches to early childhood development at a national level.

Building a Sustainable ECD Professional Network

Beyond training, teachers become part of an ongoing professional network — supporting ECD workforce professionalisation strategies, peer learning, and continuous development. This creates a sustainable, scalable approach aligned with strengthening education systems and teacher training in Southern Africa.

Evidence-Based Impact & Research Validation

The programme’s impact contributes to the growing body of ECD research in Africa. It has been independently evaluated by the Universities of Namibia and Bristol, using the internationally recognised IDELA, providing robust education data in Africa and evidence for scalable early childhood solutions for government adoption.

Find Out More About Our Work in Early Learning

FAQs

What is the Perivoli Schools Programme?hello@digitalcarrot.co.uk2025-06-20T10:58:52+00:00

What is the Perivoli Schools Programme?

The Perivoli Schools Programme is the cornerstone of our commitment to Africa. A programme which trains nursery teachers, it equips them with practical skills, teaching methodologies, and helps them repurpose resources to provide quality early childhood education. Our approach focuses on delivering high-impact, cost-effective training, ensuring that children receive the educational foundation they need during crucial developmental years. Through this work, we’re helping Africa help itself, creating sustainable educational systems that will continue to benefit communities for generations.

How does the Perivoli Schools Programme support early childhood development?hello@digitalcarrot.co.uk2025-06-20T11:01:01+00:00

How does the Perivoli Schools Programme support early childhood development?

We train nursery teachers in child-centred, play-based methodologies that stimulate cognitive development, emotional intelligence, and social skills. Our trainers work directly in communities, providing ongoing mentorship and support to teachers while introducing educational toys made from locally available recyclable waste materials.

This sustainable model sees teachers create nurturing learning environments that foster curiosity, creativity, and confidence in young children, building the foundation for lifelong learning and contributing to our vision of unlocking a self-sustaining, thriving Africa.

In which countries does the Perivoli Schools Programme operate?hello@digitalcarrot.co.uk2025-06-20T11:01:37+00:00

In which countries does the Perivoli Schools Programme operate?

Currently, our educational initiatives are active in Namibia, Malawi, Zambia, Botswana, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Lesotho and Tanzania. It is a homogeneous, cookie-cutter approach that does not need to be adapted country by country, delivering high-impact, cost-effective training to drive long-term change.

How does the Perivoli Schools Trust work?hello@digitalcarrot.co.uk2025-06-25T13:30:59+00:00

How does the Perivoli Schools Trust work?

The Perivoli Schools Trust operates through a structured training programme for nursery teachers, introducing them to a play-based methodology, using locally available resources to create teaching aids. The training covers child development, class management, and creating stimulating environments.

Our Trainers deliver the 16 Modules over a two-year period to Groups of up to 25 nursery school teachers. Sessions are every four to eight weeks, usually in community halls. In between Module sessions, the Trainers run support groups and undertake class visits. The Modules are designed to last 90 minutes and be interactive and good fun. They explain how play activities enhance a child’s development, and how to make educational aids and toys from locally available recyclable waste materials.

The first eight Modules show teachers how to structure their week, organise their classrooms and how to make play the centre of everything they do. The goal is to help children develop social skills, audio and visual perception, fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, language and simple arithmetic.

The second set of eight Modules reinforces these key teaching messages but also addresses the importance of activity centres, personal hygiene, nature, safety and wellness, gender and inclusion and preparation for school.

Between module days, the same teachers meet in Support Groups, led by the Trainer, to reinforce key ideas and swap the homemade learning materials they have created.

Trainers also carry out class visits to each participating teacher. In the first year, visits are monthly; in the second year, they are every second month. During these visits, the Trainer observes, coaches and gathers data.

Once a teacher has attended all 16 modules, they receive a Perivoli Certificate at a public Graduation Ceremony held in the community; for many, it is the first formal recognition of their work.

After graduation, the teacher moves into the Maintenance Phase. Trainers now return once a term to ensure classroom standards stay high and to keep graduates in the pipeline for other Perivoli initiatives.

Trainers use a tablet-based app that geolocates every visit and uploads attendance, classroom and child-level data to the central Perivoli database. The digital backbone means reach and impact are understood, and that those teachers who need extra help are identified.

Oversight follows a clear pyramid: Trainers report to Regional Coordinators (teams of four or five); these report to Senior Regional Coordinators (again in groups of four or five); the Seniors report to the joint CEOs, who in turn are answerable to the trust itself.

What happens at a Perivoli Schools Trust Graduation Ceremony?hello@digitalcarrot.co.uk2025-06-20T11:04:36+00:00

What happens at a Perivoli Schools Trust Graduation Ceremony?

The teacher, having completed all 16 modules, is publicly awarded a Perivoli Certificate in a community gathering. The ceremony is a milestone of professional achievement. It is often the only formal recognition the teacher has ever received. It marks their transition into the Maintenance Phase of ongoing support.

What happens when the nursery school teachers graduate?hello@digitalcarrot.co.uk2025-06-20T11:06:04+00:00

What happens when the nursery school teachers graduate?

Graduates continue to receive termly classroom visits from their Trainer on an indefinite basis. These maintenance visits are to check that good practice is sustained, identify further support needs and keep alumni connected so they can be offered future Perivoli programmes.

How does Perivoli involve parents and communities in early learning?hello@digitalcarrot.co.uk2026-04-16T12:34:38+00:00

How does Perivoli involve parents and communities in early learning?

Perivoli recognises that learning does not stop in the classroom. Teachers are encouraged to engage parents through structured sessions and practical demonstrations of play-based learning activities that can be continued at home. Parents are also involved in sourcing recycled materials used in classrooms, strengthening community ownership of the programme. This approach supports more consistent learning environments for children and reinforces early childhood development beyond the school setting.

How does Perivoli support scalable early childhood development programmes?hello@digitalcarrot.co.uk2026-04-16T12:34:11+00:00

How does Perivoli support scalable early childhood development programmes?

The model is designed to be both cost-effective and scalable across different countries and contexts. By using local trainers, structured training modules, and low-cost materials, the programme can be delivered consistently without requiring significant infrastructure investment. Digital data collection further supports replication by enabling performance tracking and informed decision-making. This makes the model suitable for NGOs and governments looking for scalable, evidence-based early childhood solutions.

How does Perivoli measure early learning outcomes and programme impact?hello@digitalcarrot.co.uk2026-04-16T12:33:39+00:00

How does Perivoli measure early learning outcomes and programme impact?

Perivoli places strong emphasis on evidence and data. The programme uses digital tools to collect classroom-level information and monitor progress over time. It also uses the internationally recognised IDELA to assess children’s development across key domains, including literacy, numeracy, motor skills, and socio-emotional development. This contributes to robust ECD research in Africa and provides reliable data for partners, researchers, and policymakers.

How does Perivoli use low-cost materials in early learning classrooms?hello@digitalcarrot.co.uk2026-04-16T12:33:12+00:00

How does Perivoli use low-cost materials in early learning classrooms?

A key feature of the programme is training teachers to create stimulating learning environments using recycled and locally available materials. Items such as bottle tops, cardboard, natural objects, and household waste are repurposed into teaching aids. These are used to build structured activity “corners” that support play-based learning across different developmental areas. This approach demonstrates how effective preschool curriculum delivery can be achieved without expensive resources, making it highly practical and scalable.

What makes the Perivoli teacher training model effective in rural Southern Africa?hello@digitalcarrot.co.uk2026-04-16T12:32:38+00:00

What makes the Perivoli teacher training model effective in rural Southern Africa?

The programme is tailored to the realities of rural and underserved communities, where access to formal training and classroom resources can be limited. Rather than relying on external inputs, it strengthens existing systems by working with local educators and communities. Continuous mentoring, peer support groups, and culturally relevant teaching approaches help ensure long-term impact. This model supports improvements in school readiness and contributes to stronger early grade outcomes.

How does Perivoli Schools Trust train nursery and pre-primary teachers in low-resource settings?hello@digitalcarrot.co.uk2026-04-16T12:32:06+00:00

How does Perivoli Schools Trust train nursery and pre-primary teachers in low-resource settings?

Perivoli delivers a structured, two-year, in-service ECD teacher training programme designed specifically for low-resource environments. The model combines workshops with ongoing classroom mentoring, enabling teachers to immediately apply what they learn. The training focuses on an activity-based preschool curriculum, early literacy and numeracy development, and practical classroom management techniques. By embedding support within schools, teachers build confidence over time while improving early learning outcomes for children aged 2–6.

VIEW ALL FAQS