In 2024, the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar, led by His Excellency President Dr. Hussein Ali Mwinyi, committed to ensuring that 95% of all children on the islands under the age of six – a population of almost 300,000 kids – reach their full developmental potential by 2030.
A baseline commissioned by the Government in late 2024 showed that 32% of children aged 0-3 in Zanzibar are either developmentally delayed or at significant risk of experiencing delays – nearly six time the global average – while 23% of children aged 4-6 struggle with school readiness.
The Government is designing a series of interventions based on the baseline, including a curriculum to train community health workers in Early Childhood Development practices so that they can provide parental coaching at the household level. The Government is also planning to expand access to quality daycare for young children, to introduce play based learning in pre-primary schools, and to expand access to playgrounds and greenspaces.
The government has established a high-level steering committee comprised of the Minister of Health, the Minister of Education and Vocational Training, and the Minister of Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children to manage the implementation of interventions, with high level leadership from the President and the First Lady.
