Co-creation of innovations for education systems transformation: Insights from CAMFED Zambia participation at the 3rd KIX Continental Research Symposium

“Researchers’ work shows the impact of policies, and here at the AU, we have the convening power to implement policies that transform education systems across Africa.” — H. E. Professor Mohamed Belhocine, Commissioner for Education, Science, Technology and Innovation of African Union, during the opening remarks of the 3rd KIX Continental Symposium on Education Research in Africa 

During November 20–22, 2024, approximately 200 researchers and policymakers from more than 50 countries participated in the 3rd KIX Continental Symposium on Education Research in Africa at the African Union (AU) Headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Last year was the African Union’s Year of Education, and the theme of the symposium was “Building Resilient Systems for Increased Access to Inclusive Quality and Relevant Education in Africa.” 

I attended the symposium in my capacity as the Executive Director of CAMFED Zambia, and I was inspired by the way in which policy actors, researchers and practitioners from across Africa convened to share best practices from both research and practice. The diversity of the expert participants fostered cross-country learning about effective strategies for advancing education in Africa, with particular reference to key themes such as inclusive and equitable education, teacher professionalism and effectiveness, enhancing data systems in education, early childhood development and accelerated education programs. 

Key highlights 

I found the sessions that addressed inclusive education practices for vulnerable children in Africa particularly enriching. They highlighted innovative approaches from across the continent, such as the use of tools designed to contextualize life skills assessments and initiatives aimed at breaking barriers — including increasing girls’ access to and completion of secondary education in the Kakuma refugee camp. The discussions that unfolded during these sessions not only deepened my understanding of effective interventions but also closely reflected CAMFED Zambia’s approach to girls’ education. 

The importance of role models 

In a session titled “Equitable and Inclusive Access to Education in Africa: Challenges and Solutions for Education for All,” I was privileged to share evidence about the impact of CAMFED’s Learner Guide program — implemented in Zambia — and innovative scaling strategies to support girls’ education. The Learner Guide program is a structured initiative in which young female graduates from disadvantaged backgrounds volunteer to support marginalized children in completing secondary education. Following training as Learner Guides (or peer mentors), these volunteers deliver life skills and well-being sessions using the CAMFED My Better World workbook, developed with and for young people. The sessions are integrated into the school day alongside formal lessons. Learner Guides also identify vulnerable students who are at risk of dropping out and connect them with additional support from local authorities. As role models from the same communities as the learners they are helping, these volunteers strengthen the home-school connection through regular visits, address students’ challenges and help dismantle often invisible barriers to education, ensuring no child is overlooked by local authorities. 

Promoting inclusion and co-creation 

CAMFED’s program design and delivery are rooted in inclusive partnerships, uniting all stakeholders at government and community levels to secure marginalized girls’ education. By aligning with national policies, priorities and local frameworks, we embed effective interventions in existing systems, informed by data and tailored to local needs. Using a co-creation process, we engage community members and officials in program design, implementation and monitoring, fostering ownership and leveraging resources. This collaborative model ensures that initiatives are sustainable, scalable and responsive to context, addressing barriers to education while promoting long-term impact within government systems and community structures. 

According to Mr. Mang’ombe Tembo, the GPE KIX focal point for the Ministry of Education in Zambia, the Learner Guide model provides an effective response to the many challenges that children, especially girls, encounter in their lives. CAMFED collaborated with the Ministry of Education from the earliest days of the initiative to design and conduct research — facilitated through a Scaling Technical Committee (STC) — on how to integrate this youth-led approach into national education systems at scale. The STC is composed of national- and local-level stakeholders, ranging from cross-sectoral ministry decision-makers and technical personnel to teachers and Learner Guides. The STC members conducted school visits to understand how Learner Guides have impacted the students they support. The positive results of the program include improvements in self-management, social awareness, relationship skills and responsible decision-making. These are also priority areas for the Ministry of Education and are included in the Reformed National Curriculum. 

Our experience at CAMFED Zambia shows that co-creation is not only highly effective in ensuring program ownership but also fundamental to systems transformation. Working in partnership with governments and key stakeholders from the beginning, we co-design studies, conduct research and use the resulting evidence to inform policy recommendations. This collaborative process ensures that the design, delivery, outcomes and recommendations are not only relevant but also owned and embedded by the communities they serve. Our approach highlights the transformative potential of co-creation for systems-level change, offering practical insights into its application and impact on education systems. 

Takeaways 

The symposium reaffirmed the value of synergy among stakeholders, including researchers and policymakers, in addressing systemic challenges in education in Africa. By creating well-defined, committed teams of local education stakeholders, and actively involving them throughout the research process, programs such as CAMFED’s enhance the relevance and sustainability of both the research and the programs. The collaborative approach supports alignment with government and community priorities and ensures an approach to program integration that is deeply rooted in local contexts and responsive to the needs and insights of those directly involved in each country’s education sector. Ultimately, this type and level of collaboration among stakeholders helps pave the way for transformative change in education across the continent, fostering a future in which every African child has access to quality, inclusive learning opportunities. 

The KIX Africa 19 Hub invites interested policy actors, practitioners, education researchers, teacher educators, teacher representatives, school leaders, and advocates from sub-Saharan Africa to share their expertise and evidence on how to improve all children’s access to quality, inclusive, equitable education. If you are working on generating or using evidence to strengthening educational policy development or implementation in any one of these KIX Africa 19 Hub countries, we encourage you to get involved in the hub’s peer learning platform by reaching out to us at kix.iicba@unesco.org.