Capricorn Foundation has committed N$5 million to support early childhood development (ECD) over the next three years.
Led by the Ministry of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sport, Arts and Culture and the Education Outcomes Fund (EOF), the initiative will support a new fund to strengthen formalised ECD in Namibia.
The programme is currently in its design phase and is expected to reach more than 2 500 children over a three-year-period with the launch anticipated in 2027.
The initiative will use an outcomes-based financing model where payments will only be made when independently verified improvements in child development, centre quality and nutrition outcomes are achieved.
Capricorn Foundation executive director Marlize Horn in a statement issued on Tuesday says the foundation is proud to be the first local private-sector partner supporting the initiative.
She says the partnership will help drive lasting improvements in early childhood development while investing in Namibia’s future.
“We are proud to support a model that pays for results and prioritises lasting impact. Early childhood development is where opportunity begins,” she says.
Education minister Sanet Steenkamp says the partnership reflects strong domestic leadership and shared commitment to improving outcomes for young children.
“Strengthening ECD is central to our vision for Namibia’s future. Their support will help ensure that increased investment translates into real gains for young children and stronger foundations for learning,” she says.
EOF chief executive Amel Karboul commends Capricorn Foundation’s leadership, saying it reflects a true ecosystem-wide partnership that can build the systems Namibia needs for lasting change.
“This partnership shows the kind of holistic, systems-change approach needed to transform ECD,” he says.
