Empowering Parents Through Digital Platforms: Fostering Sustainable Home-Based Early Learning in Uganda

• In Event: Integrating African Indigenous Practices and Digital Tools in Early Childhood Education: Evidence-Based Approaches and Knowledge Synthesis

Proposal

The Inclusive Home-Based Early Learning Project (IHELP) in Uganda is a community-driven model that integrates indigenous practices with digital tools to support ECE. Recognizing that quality ECE is often limited to privileged communities, IHELP aims to empower marginalized groups by reclaiming traditional knowledge and integrating it into early learning practices.

This study employs a phenomenological design to explore how communities sustain early learning centers established through IHELP. Data collected from 16 centers across four districts involved 16 teachers and 32 parents. Results indicate that parents, including those with no formal education, effectively use digital training platforms to deliver early learning activities. These platforms provide instructional videos and resources that demonstrate indigenous teaching methods and content, helping parents reclaim the responsibility of educating their children with culturally relevant practices.

The findings highlight the role of digital tools in facilitating knowledge exchange and peer learning among communities, fostering a culture of innovation and resilience. The decolonization of pedagogy is evident in the shift from formal, prescribed methods to indigenous content and authentic assessments, which are more aligned with local cultural contexts and values. This approach has reduced dependency on external resources and enhanced the sustainability of ECE programs in these communities.

Recommendations: To ensure sustainability, policies should support parental autonomy in managing ECE centers and encourage the use of digital tools for inclusive practices. Additionally, these centers should be designated as inclusion sites for children with disabilities to provide targeted support and foster community involvement.

Author

• Godfrey Ejuu, Kyambogo University, Kampala, Uganda