Reaching the hard-to-reach: Integrating early childhood development in Sierra Leone’s marginalised communities

The foundation of a child’s education begins long before they start formal schooling. For many children, especially those in hard-to-reach communities, the journey begins in informal settings. These settings are often overlooked in conventional educational policy discussions, yet they play a critical role in shaping the early cognitive and social development of children. Informal settings have an important part to play in any strategy that aims to address the educational disparities that persist in Sierra Leone. 

In collaboration with the Institute for Development (IfD), Thrive is conducting a study aimed at understanding and enhancing the role of informal early childhood development practices in hard-to-reach communities across all five regions in Sierra Leone. These include very remote locations not reachable except on foot, by motorbike or canoe, communities with minority languages and multiple dialects, and residents of informal settlements in rapidly urbanising settings. Our research focuses on identifying opportunities to strengthen services in these communities. 

Understanding hard-to-reach communities

In Sierra Leone, the concept of ‘hard-to-reach’ communities extends beyond remote and geographically inaccessible areas to include urban informal settlements where access to services is limited by poverty and rapid urbanisation. Additionally, communities that speak minority languages or adhere to distinct cultural and religious practices are often marginalised within the broader national education framework. These communities face unique challenges that require tailored early childhood development approaches.

For instance, in rapidly urbanising areas, informal settlements spring up without proper infrastructure, making it difficult for formal educational institutions to reach these populations. Families living in these areas may also face economic pressures that force them to prioritise immediate survival over long-term educational investments. Furthermore, in communities where religious and cultural practices differ from the mainstream, there may be resistance to adopting formal education models that do not align with their values. 

In remote rural and impoverished areas, early childhood development faces additional challenges due to low adult literacy rates and caregiving structures where primary carers are often not the biological parents. Around 20% of men and 35% of women aged 25–29 have no formal education, with rural rates nearly double those in urban areas (DHS 2019). Moreover, it is common during times of stress to send children to live with relatives who are perceived to be more affluent or who live nearer services such as schools or clinics. These are often older relatives, such as grandparents, uncles, or aunts, who may have even lower levels of formal education. Over 46% of rural men and 70% of rural women over 35 lack formal education. This highlights the need to explore how informal caregiving practices can be harnessed to support early childhood development, even in the absence of formal education.

Recognising these multifaceted challenges, Thrive’s research is committed to understanding the unique needs and circumstances of the country’s diverse hard-to-reach communities. By focusing on the informal educational systems that are already in place, we aim to uncover and strengthen the methods these communities use to foster early childhood development in culturally relevant and sustainable ways. This research will provide crucial insights that can inform more inclusive educational policies and practices, ultimately contributing to a more equitable foundation for all children in Sierra Leone, regardless of their background or circumstances.

Early findings 

As part of the study, Thrive researchers are visiting a range of hard-to-reach communities to observe and discuss early childhood development and caregiving practices. While the bulk of this work is scheduled for the post-rainy season period of September and October, we have already begun preliminary visits to inform our approach. Early data collection, has provided valuable insights into the current state of informal early childhood development services in both rural and in urban informal settlements, where access is less affected by seasonal conditions.

These initial observations have been shared and discussed in weekly Zoom meetings, offering an opportunity for our research team to refine their methodologies and gain feedback from experts in the field. This iterative process has been particularly beneficial for our less experienced researchers, who have used these sessions to hone their skills in data collection, analysis drafting and revising their reports following peer review.

The early findings from our preliminary research have been insightful and encouraging. There is enthusiasm for pre-primary education among hard-to-reach communities in both urban and rural settings, with many demonstrating a willingness and capacity to contribute modest weekly or monthly fees to support these services. This willingness to invest in their children’s education, despite economic hardships, underscores the value that these communities place on early learning. Notably, in some places, informal community-led care and educational initiatives either already exist or are emerging without external assistance.

For instance, in the Western Area’s informal settlements, a group of recent school graduates have proactively established a study circle for young children while awaiting their own exam results and opportunities for further education or training. In Kolleh Town, families are contributing between SLE 60 and SLE 80 per child each month to sustain these educational services. Similarly, in Moyiba, an unemployed tiler has provided a safe space in his enclosed compound for his child’s playmates from the neighbourhood, providing daily meals and supervision. His neighbours show their appreciation through in-kind contributions. These examples highlight the potential for community-driven solutions to address the gaps in formal early childhood development provision.

However, our research also reveals the complexities and challenges of informal early childhood development practices in hard-to-reach communities. For instance, in Kenema, we observed that primary caregivers, often grandmothers or other relatives, frequently delegate the care of young children to older siblings or neighbours while performing other essential tasks such as trading and farming. While common, these arrangements can mean the primary caregiver is relatively unaware of what the child is doing or eating during the day, which can lead to gaps in the child’s care – particularly when the primary caregiver is only called upon during crises. For example, we heard from a grandmother who cares for and carries for her 2-year-old grandson on her back while earning her living cooking and serving food (cookri). When the toddler needs attention for feeding, entertainment or toileting, the grandmother relies on the assistance of an adolescent girl from the neighbourhood. 

The role of informal Islamic tutors

One of the most striking findings of our research so far is the central role that ‘informal’ Islamic tutors (sheiks, clerics, scholars) play in providing early education to children in hard-to-reach communities. These tutors, operate independently of formal educational systems, teach traditional values and Qur’anic scripts by rote to classes of children. In urban settings, these classes can include 30 or more children, while in rural areas, they typically consist of 10–20 children. Parents support these tutors through weekly contributions, either in cash or in kind (such as working on the tutor’s farm), demonstrating the value placed on this form of education.

The structure of traditional ‘informal’ Qur’anic education, known locally as Majlis, has changed little over time. Typically, there is no formal enrolment process, no academic calendar, and no distinction between classes based on age or gender (though girls are obliged to cover their heads during lessons). New students can join at any time, and the learning process is highly individualised, with each child progressing at their own pace. Teachers (karamokoh) are always male, usually elderly and use canes to maintain decorum and punish those who cannot remember their verses or who are caught playing during a session. The use of corporal punishment, though increasingly frowned upon, remains a common method of maintaining discipline.

Children used to start their Qur’anic education at around the age of five, but in recent years, some parents have started sending children as young as two or three years old. These parents believe that early Qur’anic learning provides a strong Islamic foundation, making their children smarter and better prepared for primary school. They also argue that it is more difficult to teach the Qur’an to older children who are already engaged in formal schooling.

The physical setting of these Qur’anic schools is informal, with classes held in any available open space during the dry season and in mosques or community buildings during the rains. Children sit on the ground or on locally made mats, using wooden slates (alluwala) to practice writing the Arabic alphabet and short sentences. The slates are washed weekly, and the ink (n’daha) is often homemade. Learning is largely driven by memorisation, with older students teaching younger ones and occasionally administering discipline. Pupils learn to read and write at their own pace and approach the karamokoh for help with pronunciation as Arabic is not a spoken language in Sierra Leone.

Children from further away can stay with these informal tutors and help with fetching water, farming and collecting firewood for cooking.  The older or advanced learners wash the clothes for their tutor and his family and are in charge of the younger learners with authority to discipline them.   

Integrating early childhood development into formal Islamic education

Formal Islamic schooling (madrasa) exists in towns and cities throughout Sierra Leone. Madrasas have registration, school fees, a set curriculum (including subjects other than the Qur’an), uniforms (both boys and girls wear long trousers and shirts with black shoes and girls are obliged to use the hijab to cover their head and neck), classes and summative assessments similar to government schools. They can admit non-Muslim children. Female teachers are allowed but are required to dress moderately – with a dress below the knee or long trousers. Governing bodies are aware of the government policy that all primary schools should have a pre-primary facility and a ‘play-to learn’ curriculum – however this is approach is not yet widely available. 

One model that offers valuable lessons for Sierra Leone is the Madrasa Early Childhood Programme (MECP) which has been successfully implemented in East Africa (Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania). The MECP programme supports Islamic clerics through the funding and provision of trained female educators who deliver an integrated early childhood development curriculum that combines Islamic and secular teaching. The programme serves children aged 3–6, providing 4 hours of instruction each day, 5 days a week, leaving pupils free to pursue additional Islamic tuition in the afternoons where desired by parents.

This is an example of a model that could be adapted to the formal Islamic education context of Sierra Leonean. By integrating Islamic and secular material and approaches, a tailored early childhood development curriculum could help bridge the gap in school readiness while respecting cultural and religious practices. The goal is not to replace the traditional system but to enhance it in a way that better prepares children for the challenges of formal education.

Principal Investigator, Professor Mary Hodges from the Thrive programme, and consultant anthropologist, Professor Paul Richards, conclude:

Scaling up informal pre-primary education and ensuring that children have access to comprehensive early childhood development services in hard-to-reach areas in Sierra Leone presents a significant challenge. The existing and extensive Majlis system, is deeply rooted in community values, well established and widely accepted, supported by local contributions of space, time and money. Integrating more holistic early childhood development approaches into this traditional framework therefore offers a promising path forward. Preliminary discussions with key national stakeholders, including the Ahmadiyya Mission, the Islamic Action Group and the Inter-Religious Council, reveal a growing recognition among senior Islamic educators of the desirability of incorporating secular teaching materials and methods essential for improving school readiness and educational outcomes while preserving and respecting cultural and religious practices.

Our preliminary observations underscore the potential for community-driven solutions in enhancing early childhood education and care among marginalised populations. As we progress with our comprehensive fieldwork, we look forward to uncovering more insights and collaborating with local communities to better understand sustainable and impactful early childhood development strategies across the country that will reach both Islamic and Christian communities.

“The Thrive study could help build on existing informal learning systems to improve early childhood development. The adoption of modern teaching and learning techniques would help enhance children’s school readiness, critical thinking, numeracy and general educational outcomes. These children would then have greater opportunities to become productive global citizens, able to function in both the secular and non-secular world.” Papa N’Jai, Lecturer, Milton Margai Technical University