Blogs and Articles
Our collection of blogs
From Commitments to Impact: Mizizi Elimu Afrika at EACREC 2026
Across East Africa, too many children move through school without learning to read, reason and apply what they are taught. The commitments to change this are on record. The harder question is what it will take to deliver them. That question sits at the centre of the 2nd East African Community Regional Education Conference (EACREC 2026), which brings education leaders, policymakers, researchers, practitioners, development partners and young people to Nairobi from 25 to 28 August 2026. Convened under the theme “Transforming Education in East Africa: From Commitments to Impact, Fostering Resilient and Future-Ready Systems for Sustainable Development,” the conference builds on the inaugural edition held at the EAC Headquarters in Arusha in 2024. It gathers stakeholders from the eight EAC Partner States around a shared challenge: how can the region move beyond commitments and promising interventions towards education systems that consistently deliver for every learner? Mizizi Elimu Afrika will contribute evidence, facilitate conversations and learn alongside partners across sessions spanning foundational learning, early childhood development, competency-based assessment and community engagement.
Shillah Raymond
24 Aug 2026
Two Years of the Future of Work Project in Mombasa
Since it launched in March 2024, the Future of Work (FoW) project has moved from asking how young people in Mombasa County find jobs to building the systems that make good transitions possible in the first place. Implemented across Kenya's coastal region, with Mombasa as its central focus, the project set out to establish an observatory using skills and jobs methodologies grounded in local, urban and rural realities. Its purpose was to put credible data at the centre of the decisions taken by the public and private actors who shape education and employment policy, and to align training with where the job market is heading.
Collins Orono
19 Aug 2026
The Mathematics Behind the Mistake: What Error Analysis Reveals
During one of our Error Analysis sessions in Bungoma County, I found myself looking through a learner's mathematics exercise book. At first glance, there was little to worry about. The child answered the question correctly. Any teacher moving quickly through a pile of exercise books would probably have placed a tick beside the answer and moved on.
Walter Odondi
17 Aug 2026
Closing the Gap: Key Messages from the Nairobi Education Symposium 2026
The Nairobi Education Symposium 2026, part of Brookings' Global Symposium Series, gathered researchers, practitioners, policymakers, funders, and youth from across Africa and beyond. Over a full day of plenary sessions, five Deep Dive Workshops, and two rounds of Learning Circles, a clear message emerged: while education systems in the region have strong policy frameworks and an expanding evidence base, real progress hinges on bridging the gap between stated values and everyday practices.
Dr. Joyce Kinyanjui and Dr. Charles Gachoki
7 Aug 2026
From Accounting Graduate to Grants Management Intern
I joined Mizizi Elimu Afrika as a Grants Intern in May 2026 with a Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting) and a solid grounding in financial reporting, budgeting, auditing and internal controls. What I wanted most was to see how those principles work in practice inside an organization committed to improving learning outcomes for children across Africa. My internship has given me exactly that. Each week connects what I studied to what actually moves resources and has deepened my appreciation of how finance supports the work of getting children learning.
Hillary Musanyi
5 Aug 2026
Burning Question: Should Kenya Really Phase Out Boarding Schools?
A dormitory fire in Utumishi Girls, sixteen young lives lost. A Senate motion tabled within weeks. Suddenly, an institution that has shaped generations of Kenyan leaders is on air, in Parliament, and in every WhatsApp group in the country. The instinct, in the aftermath of tragedy, is to reach for the biggest possible fix and tear the whole system down and start over. But before Kenya rushes to phase out boarding schools altogether, it's worth asking a harder question: are we solving the actual problem, or just removing the building the problem happened in?
Jacqueline Waititu
3 Aug 2026
Young People Must Be Seen as Partners in Shaping the Future of Work
Young people have the potential to transform their communities, but unlocking that potential requires more than creating jobs. It demands investment in foundational learning, digital skills and volunteerism, as well as stronger partnerships that support young people’s transition into the world of work.
Collins Orono
22 Jul 2026
Mizizi Elimu in the News
Media coverage, mentions, and news stories
Education stakeholders call for value based learning integration to nurture responsible citizens
KTN News
2 Apr 2026
Zizi Afrique Rebrands to Mizizi Elimu Afrika, Launches Vision 2040 Education Strategy
Education stakeholders convened in Nairobi on March 10, 2026, for the launch of Vision 2040: Strong Foundations for Lasting Change and the rebranding of Zizi Afrique Foundation to Mizizi Elimu Afrika.
23 Mar 2026
New education initiative aims to strengthen literacy and numeracy across Africa
Education stakeholders gathered in Nairobi on March 10, 2026, for the unveiling of Vision 2040: Strong Foundations for Lasting Change and the rebranding of Zizi Afrique Foundation to Mizizi Elimu Afrika.
23 Mar 2026
Educating the African child in the midst of polycrisis
The African continent has seen children’s education journeys disrupted by various challenges, including social, political, and economic conflicts, as well as the effects of climate change among other factors in the growing list of polycrises.
23 Mar 2026
Podcasts
Season 1
Mizizi Elimu Afrika - brand reveal animation
Mizizi Elimu Afrika - brand reveal animation
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