Ready to Learn (RTL) Tracer Study and Cost Benefit Analysis, Uganda

The outcomes of the Tracer Study and Cost-Benefit Analysis showcase the impacts of the Ready to Learn project, a collaborative effort between Save the Children in Uganda and Save the Children Italy, implemented in the districts of Moroto, Napak, Madi Okollo, and Kiryandongo from 2021 to 2022. Save the Children International (SCI), in fulfilment of its commitment to fostering optimal early childhood development, successfully executed the Ready to Learn initiative across the Karamoja and West Nile regions.

This strategic endeavor was designed to ensure that learners receive unparalleled early childhood care, thereby unlocking their full potential. Building upon prior initiatives such as the Centenary project and the Early Childhood Care and Development in Pastoralist Communities, SCI has diligently undertaken this initiative since the year 2020. The comprehensive project entailed the provision of classroom infrastructure, capacity-building initiatives, the implementation of cash-for-work programs, and the dissemination of instructive sessions on Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) methodology to community-based ECCD centers within the specified regions.

The study showed the operational cost data from 16 ECCD centres, 8 in each region. Caregiver stipend, firewood, cooks, instructional materials, and upkeep are the primary expenses. Karamoja incurred termly average operational expenditures of  UGX 1,500,000, whilst West Nile had UGX 4,500,000. After dividing these amounts per child based on third-term 2023 enrolment, the average operational cost per child was  UGX 16,187 in West Nile and UGX  13,158 in Karamoja. The primary differences were in firewood purchases, the number of caregivers, and caregiver compensation which were costly in West Nile compared to Karamoja where Learners’ parents in Karamoja supplied Firewood while West Nile ECCD centers purchased the firewood.

The potential long-term societal benefits of investing in ECCD centers lead to better performance of learners in early primary classes, for example, term three 2023 shows that the experimental category scored 36% higher than those who did not score 25%. The other benefits included improved hygiene and sanitation behavior among learners and the potential for an increase in literacy levels in society.