For Immediate Release
Office of the First Lady
July 14, 2005
Mrs. Bush's Remarks at Kiembesamaki Teachers Center in Tanzania
Zanzibar, Tanzania
10:48 A.M. (Local)
MRS. BUSH: Thank you very much. Thank you, Mr. Minister. Thank you for your very kind introduction and your warm welcome to me. And thanks also to Mrs. Karume. I appreciate your very warm welcome to Zanzibar. Thank you a lot. (Applause.)
I also want to acknowledge Ambassador Randall Tobias, who's here with me today. He coordinates the United States government's global efforts to fight HIV/AIDS. And education is a vital part of the fight against HIV.
I'm especially pleased to visit the Kiembesamaki Teachers Centre. And I want to thank your director, Ali Haji. (Applause.) I am a former teacher and librarian, so I have something in common with all of the teachers who are here: We all love children and we want to see them achieve their highest potential.
The United States and Zanzibar are working together to improve education for Zanzibar's children. Because we believe the children of Africa deserve a good education, and because we have hope for their future, the American people are giving more than $200 million through their government for education programs in Africa - and my husband has proposed doubling that funding. (Applause.)
The African Education Initiative helps to provide school supplies, scholarships, and books. And over four years, the new funding will support training for 500,000 teachers and administrators in Africa.
With the Ambassador's Girls' Scholarship Program, the United States is helping families send their daughters to school, where girls can receive an education that will empower them to make a difference throughout their lives. Over four years, the American people will fund 300,000 scholarships for African schoolgirls. (Applause.)
Girls and boys in school also need books to read and study, to expand their knowledge of the world. As the Honorary Ambassador for the United Nations Decade of Literacy, I believe deeply in the importance of reading. And today I'm pleased to announce a donation of 20,000 books for schools in Zanzibar.
Earlier today I visited students at Al Rahma Madrasa Pre-School, which was created through Zanzibar's Madrasa Resource Centre. The Madrasa Resource Centre makes high-quality early education available to children in Zanzibar and in neighboring countries. The people of the United States are partners with the Madrasa Resource Centre, working together through the Aga Khan Foundation.
The Foundation provides seed money and training to communities that want to open a madrasa pre-school, but the schools belong one hundred percent to the communities. Local men and women do their part by getting involved in the school - volunteering their time to repair classrooms, to build playgrounds, or to provide meals.
Over the last five years, the Madrasa Resource Centre and the Aga Khan Foundation have supported the creation of 180 schools in East Africa. More than 9,000 children have been educated and more than 900 women have been trained as teachers.
The American people are pleased to work with organizations that understand local needs and respond to those needs. By partnering with local organizations, our contributions can have a direct impact on people's lives.
I'm grateful to have the opportunity to visit Zanzibar and to meet each one of you. From the youngest girls and boys in pre-school, to teachers with years of experience, education is a priority. Your emphasis on education for all creates a hopeful future for the people of Zanzibar. Thank you very, very much for your hospitality. (Applause.)
END 10:57 A.M. (Local)
Mrs. Bush's Remarks at Kiembesamaki Teachers Center in Tanza
Madrasa Pre-Primary scheme
Tuesday, 14th August, 2007
Children of Hassan Tourabi Bweyogerere Nursery School attend classes
By Arthur Baguma
ACCESSING nursery education remains one of the biggest challenges in the modern education era. Parents from vulnerable communities can hardly afford to take their children to nursery school.
However the Madrasa pre-primary school model is changing this trend. Children from the most vulnerable communities can also access pre-primary education at an affordable fee at Madrasa nursery schools.
The Madrasa model, a brain child of the Aga Khan, attracts children from a broad range of backgrounds. And, even though most of the kids come from homes where little or no English is spoken and where there are few if any, books, most of them can read, often fluently, by the time they start primary school at age six.
It was a dream that started with converting a mosque into a learning centre. A decade later, the dream has become reality.
Madrasa, a pre-primary education model designed to solve unique problems is helping thousands of children in marginalised communities.
Children as young as two years have benefited from this programme, enabling them to prepare adequately for primary education. Although the model is based on Islamic faith, it does not keep out non-Muslims.
Madrasa is an Arabic word which means 'education'. Anxious to improve the quality of children joining primary, a mosque in Old Kampala was converted into a learning centre to kick-start the project 10 years ago.
Hassan Tourabi Bweyogerere Nursery school is one of the many schools operating under the Madrasa model.
The school is located out of the city centre in an area with a typical village setting. Damilie Iryeng, a parent of the school, says her son used to be shy and was quiet. But a few months after taking him to the school, he became one of the most talkative children.
The programme has gone a long way in addressing the challenges of Universal Primary Education (UPE). Although UPE has greatly improved the literacy levels among children, pre-primary education remains a big problem.
According to Shafiq Ssekalala, the project director of Madrasa Resource Centre, children from marginalised communities joining P.1 are usually not well-prepared. "As a result, they take long to cope. This is the gap that Madrasa is trying to bridge," Ssekalala explains.
Madrasa is currently operating in 53 communities in Kampala, Wakiso and Mityana. The programme is a brainchild of the Aga Khan.
Over 9,000 pupils have benefited from this programme.
The Madrasa pre-school programme originated from Kenya in 1986. It has increased access and retention in basic education for children from marginalised communities.
It has improved children's wellbeing through ensuring a child-friendly and supportive household and a pre-school environment in their early developmental years.
The programme emphasises parental and community involvement and ownership to expose children to quality early childhood education. Madrasa pre-schools are set up with an open learning concept in mind.
Classrooms have different areas that children can explore such as the home, shop, block, clinic, book, sand and water areas.
The outdoor environment consists of out-door equipment contributed and built by the community.
For a community to benefit from the Madrasa programme, it is identified, then a development officer from the Madrasa Resource Centre is sent there to assist and support those who have expressed interest in opening a pre-school.
Madrasa staff and community members participate in discussions covering issues such as the benefits of education for children and childhood development.
Madrasa sets out the terms of the partnership and how the resource centre will help the community set up and manage the school.
http://www.newvision.co.ug/D/9/35/581247
Tuesday, 14th August, 2007
Children of Hassan Tourabi Bweyogerere Nursery School attend classes
By Arthur Baguma
ACCESSING nursery education remains one of the biggest challenges in the modern education era. Parents from vulnerable communities can hardly afford to take their children to nursery school.
However the Madrasa pre-primary school model is changing this trend. Children from the most vulnerable communities can also access pre-primary education at an affordable fee at Madrasa nursery schools.
The Madrasa model, a brain child of the Aga Khan, attracts children from a broad range of backgrounds. And, even though most of the kids come from homes where little or no English is spoken and where there are few if any, books, most of them can read, often fluently, by the time they start primary school at age six.
It was a dream that started with converting a mosque into a learning centre. A decade later, the dream has become reality.
Madrasa, a pre-primary education model designed to solve unique problems is helping thousands of children in marginalised communities.
Children as young as two years have benefited from this programme, enabling them to prepare adequately for primary education. Although the model is based on Islamic faith, it does not keep out non-Muslims.
Madrasa is an Arabic word which means 'education'. Anxious to improve the quality of children joining primary, a mosque in Old Kampala was converted into a learning centre to kick-start the project 10 years ago.
Hassan Tourabi Bweyogerere Nursery school is one of the many schools operating under the Madrasa model.
The school is located out of the city centre in an area with a typical village setting. Damilie Iryeng, a parent of the school, says her son used to be shy and was quiet. But a few months after taking him to the school, he became one of the most talkative children.
The programme has gone a long way in addressing the challenges of Universal Primary Education (UPE). Although UPE has greatly improved the literacy levels among children, pre-primary education remains a big problem.
According to Shafiq Ssekalala, the project director of Madrasa Resource Centre, children from marginalised communities joining P.1 are usually not well-prepared. "As a result, they take long to cope. This is the gap that Madrasa is trying to bridge," Ssekalala explains.
Madrasa is currently operating in 53 communities in Kampala, Wakiso and Mityana. The programme is a brainchild of the Aga Khan.
Over 9,000 pupils have benefited from this programme.
The Madrasa pre-school programme originated from Kenya in 1986. It has increased access and retention in basic education for children from marginalised communities.
It has improved children's wellbeing through ensuring a child-friendly and supportive household and a pre-school environment in their early developmental years.
The programme emphasises parental and community involvement and ownership to expose children to quality early childhood education. Madrasa pre-schools are set up with an open learning concept in mind.
Classrooms have different areas that children can explore such as the home, shop, block, clinic, book, sand and water areas.
The outdoor environment consists of out-door equipment contributed and built by the community.
For a community to benefit from the Madrasa programme, it is identified, then a development officer from the Madrasa Resource Centre is sent there to assist and support those who have expressed interest in opening a pre-school.
Madrasa staff and community members participate in discussions covering issues such as the benefits of education for children and childhood development.
Madrasa sets out the terms of the partnership and how the resource centre will help the community set up and manage the school.
http://www.newvision.co.ug/D/9/35/581247
Novel ideas that bring a smile on the faces of children
Story by JEFF OTIENO
Publication Date: 8/17/2007
Children recite the letters of the alphabet under the watchful eye of three youthful teachers.
A teacher gives a lesson to pupils at a Madrasa Pre-School centre in Mombasa. Photos/WILLIAM OERI
It is the first day for a number of children who seem to be mesmerised with all the work and play, but it is business as usual for others who have spent almost a year at the institution.
That is a typical day at Istiqama Nursery School, about 14 kilometres from Mombasa Town.
The school, the size of a standard two-bedroom house, accommodates 70 children aged between two and eight years
They are the beneficiaries of the Madrasa Pre-School Programme, which has helped to transform education among the Muslim population in East Africa.
The programme was initiated by the Aga Khan following a request for help by Muslim leaders in Coast Province after years of poor performance in national examinations.
Since its inception, first in Kenya and later spreading to Tanzania and Uganda, the programme has benefited thousands of children.
The programme, currently in its 25th year, has come a long way since the idea of establishing a unique system of education to act as a bridge between secular and religious education, was initiated back in the early 1980s.
The programme's silver jubilee coincides with the golden jubilee celebrations of the Aga Khan as the head of the Shia Ismaili Muslims, a responsibility bestowed on him on July 11, 1957 at the tender age of 20 years.
Poor performance
The Madrasa programme was set up after a team appointed by the Aga Khan to look into ways of improving education standards traced the cause of poor performance to difficulties encountered at the primary school level.
According to Mr Masoud Ali, Kenya's project director of the Madrasa Resource Centre, the programme was first started at a small mosque with only four children.
What makes the education system unique is that, unlike the Quranic Madrasa, the pre-school programme combines religious studies with conventional education to ensure a smooth transition from nursery to primary school.
"We used to have problems in that children who joined primary schools from the strictly Quranic Madarasas could not keep up with the pace as they did not have the necessary background of conventional education," Mr Ali explained.
At Istiqama, teachers Bahati Hussein, Wanajuma Suleiman and Eunice Kimeto not only teach the children English and religious studies but also basic concepts in mathematics, hygiene and history.
"The programme does not discriminate against children on the basis of religion although it is initiated by Muslims," said Ms Kimeto, a non-Muslim who joined the school's staff early this year.
Mr Ali said the programme has in the recent past seen an increase in enrolment of children from Christian families.
"We believe that by accepting students from other religious backgrounds, the programme is playing an important role in integrating and promoting mutual co-existence between people of different religious backgrounds," he said.
The director added that whenever a new facility is opened, the resource centre signs an agreement with local residents to support the project. They are required to contribute half of the total cost of putting up the structures. It is the community that pays the teachers and ensures that the schools operate as required.
To ensure that the local people manage the projects professionally, the programme trains them in leadership and management skills.
Several kilometres away is the Aga Khan Academy, the first centre of education excellence in East Africa.
The institution falls under the Aga Khan Education Services, one of the agencies under the umbrella body, the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN).
AKDN was founded by the Aga Khan and comprises a group of development agencies dealing with health and education, architecture, culture, micro-finance, disaster reduction, rural development, promotion of private-sector enterprise and revitalisation of historic sites.
According to the director of academies, Mr Salim Bhatia, the institution in Mombasa is one 18 such institutions expected to be built in Africa and Asia to provide quality education to young people.
"The academies will be built in 14 countries in sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East and south and central Asia," said Mr Bhatia.
The Aga Khan's objective in setting up the academies in developing countries is to produce young graduates who are well prepared to face the challenges of the modern world.
"Our education system not only looks at the importance of passing examinations, but also at other skills a student might possess like leadership and the ability to tackle social problems, and among others," he explained.
The Aga Khan Academy in Mombasa follows the International Baccalaureate (IB) system of education merged with the local curriculum to produce graduates well prepared for higher education both locally and overseas.
Mr Bhatia says each school will have an average of 1,200 students and will form one education community under the AKDN.
"All the institutions of excellence will be networked and there will be an exchange programme among students from different academies. We believe it is important for students to have a wider view of the world," he says. Elias Okwara is one of the students at the Aga Khan Academy currently taking a fully sponsored IB diploma course. The young student already has his future planned. He intends to study law at an overseas university, then come back to Kenya to serve the public.
"I want to be the Attorney General and, God willing, become the President of Kenya," he adds.
The unique architectural designs of the schools are aimed at creating a perfect environment for studying. Facilities range from libraries stocked with the latest educational materials and well equipped science laboratories.
According to Mr Simon Otieno, the principal of the Mombasa Aga Khan Academy, the school offers both primary and secondary education. It expects to open its doors to boarding students next year when the construction of the residential campus is completed.
Mr Bhatia said the academy would establish networks with various organisations and individuals countrywide to help select talented young men and women to study at the institution.
http://www.nationmedia.com/dailynation
Story by JEFF OTIENO
Publication Date: 8/17/2007
Children recite the letters of the alphabet under the watchful eye of three youthful teachers.
A teacher gives a lesson to pupils at a Madrasa Pre-School centre in Mombasa. Photos/WILLIAM OERI
It is the first day for a number of children who seem to be mesmerised with all the work and play, but it is business as usual for others who have spent almost a year at the institution.
That is a typical day at Istiqama Nursery School, about 14 kilometres from Mombasa Town.
The school, the size of a standard two-bedroom house, accommodates 70 children aged between two and eight years
They are the beneficiaries of the Madrasa Pre-School Programme, which has helped to transform education among the Muslim population in East Africa.
The programme was initiated by the Aga Khan following a request for help by Muslim leaders in Coast Province after years of poor performance in national examinations.
Since its inception, first in Kenya and later spreading to Tanzania and Uganda, the programme has benefited thousands of children.
The programme, currently in its 25th year, has come a long way since the idea of establishing a unique system of education to act as a bridge between secular and religious education, was initiated back in the early 1980s.
The programme's silver jubilee coincides with the golden jubilee celebrations of the Aga Khan as the head of the Shia Ismaili Muslims, a responsibility bestowed on him on July 11, 1957 at the tender age of 20 years.
Poor performance
The Madrasa programme was set up after a team appointed by the Aga Khan to look into ways of improving education standards traced the cause of poor performance to difficulties encountered at the primary school level.
According to Mr Masoud Ali, Kenya's project director of the Madrasa Resource Centre, the programme was first started at a small mosque with only four children.
What makes the education system unique is that, unlike the Quranic Madrasa, the pre-school programme combines religious studies with conventional education to ensure a smooth transition from nursery to primary school.
"We used to have problems in that children who joined primary schools from the strictly Quranic Madarasas could not keep up with the pace as they did not have the necessary background of conventional education," Mr Ali explained.
At Istiqama, teachers Bahati Hussein, Wanajuma Suleiman and Eunice Kimeto not only teach the children English and religious studies but also basic concepts in mathematics, hygiene and history.
"The programme does not discriminate against children on the basis of religion although it is initiated by Muslims," said Ms Kimeto, a non-Muslim who joined the school's staff early this year.
Mr Ali said the programme has in the recent past seen an increase in enrolment of children from Christian families.
"We believe that by accepting students from other religious backgrounds, the programme is playing an important role in integrating and promoting mutual co-existence between people of different religious backgrounds," he said.
The director added that whenever a new facility is opened, the resource centre signs an agreement with local residents to support the project. They are required to contribute half of the total cost of putting up the structures. It is the community that pays the teachers and ensures that the schools operate as required.
To ensure that the local people manage the projects professionally, the programme trains them in leadership and management skills.
Several kilometres away is the Aga Khan Academy, the first centre of education excellence in East Africa.
The institution falls under the Aga Khan Education Services, one of the agencies under the umbrella body, the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN).
AKDN was founded by the Aga Khan and comprises a group of development agencies dealing with health and education, architecture, culture, micro-finance, disaster reduction, rural development, promotion of private-sector enterprise and revitalisation of historic sites.
According to the director of academies, Mr Salim Bhatia, the institution in Mombasa is one 18 such institutions expected to be built in Africa and Asia to provide quality education to young people.
"The academies will be built in 14 countries in sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East and south and central Asia," said Mr Bhatia.
The Aga Khan's objective in setting up the academies in developing countries is to produce young graduates who are well prepared to face the challenges of the modern world.
"Our education system not only looks at the importance of passing examinations, but also at other skills a student might possess like leadership and the ability to tackle social problems, and among others," he explained.
The Aga Khan Academy in Mombasa follows the International Baccalaureate (IB) system of education merged with the local curriculum to produce graduates well prepared for higher education both locally and overseas.
Mr Bhatia says each school will have an average of 1,200 students and will form one education community under the AKDN.
"All the institutions of excellence will be networked and there will be an exchange programme among students from different academies. We believe it is important for students to have a wider view of the world," he says. Elias Okwara is one of the students at the Aga Khan Academy currently taking a fully sponsored IB diploma course. The young student already has his future planned. He intends to study law at an overseas university, then come back to Kenya to serve the public.
"I want to be the Attorney General and, God willing, become the President of Kenya," he adds.
The unique architectural designs of the schools are aimed at creating a perfect environment for studying. Facilities range from libraries stocked with the latest educational materials and well equipped science laboratories.
According to Mr Simon Otieno, the principal of the Mombasa Aga Khan Academy, the school offers both primary and secondary education. It expects to open its doors to boarding students next year when the construction of the residential campus is completed.
Mr Bhatia said the academy would establish networks with various organisations and individuals countrywide to help select talented young men and women to study at the institution.
http://www.nationmedia.com/dailynation
LESSONS IN DEVELOPMENT:
AN AGA KHAN DEVELOPMENT NETWORK SERIES
Madrasa Early Childhood Development Programme
http://www.akdn.org/publications/2008_madrasa.pdf
Admin, could you change the name of the thread to: Madrasa Early Childhood Development Programme
Thanks
AN AGA KHAN DEVELOPMENT NETWORK SERIES
Madrasa Early Childhood Development Programme
http://www.akdn.org/publications/2008_madrasa.pdf
Admin, could you change the name of the thread to: Madrasa Early Childhood Development Programme
Thanks
Supported by the Madras Resource Centre, Kenya
Coastweek - - Two pupils - Alwiya Mukhdar and Ahmed Abdallah after completion of their pre-primary education at the Khairat Nursery school, Mwembe Kuku Mombasa; have received a full scholarship to study at the Aga Khan Academy.
The two received the award after successfully going through a series of assessments to test their academic capability, leadership skills and social interactions.
Both Alwiya and Ahmed come from humble family background; this has not hindered their performance to excel.
The pupils joined class one in January 2009 and have been able to settle down quite well in their new environment.
Khairat Nursery school is among the community pre-schools being supported by the Madrasa Resource Centre, Kenya (MRC K); an early childhood development project of the Aga Khan Foundation.
http://www.coastweek.com/3213-03.htm
Coastweek - - Two pupils - Alwiya Mukhdar and Ahmed Abdallah after completion of their pre-primary education at the Khairat Nursery school, Mwembe Kuku Mombasa; have received a full scholarship to study at the Aga Khan Academy.
The two received the award after successfully going through a series of assessments to test their academic capability, leadership skills and social interactions.
Both Alwiya and Ahmed come from humble family background; this has not hindered their performance to excel.
The pupils joined class one in January 2009 and have been able to settle down quite well in their new environment.
Khairat Nursery school is among the community pre-schools being supported by the Madrasa Resource Centre, Kenya (MRC K); an early childhood development project of the Aga Khan Foundation.
http://www.coastweek.com/3213-03.htm
Madras centres may be fully accredited schools
The chief Executive officer of the Aga Khan Foundation East Africa Mr Arif Neky briefs Zanzibar Deputy Chief Minister Ali Juma Shamuhuna during the launch of a book titled �the madrasa childhood programme: 25 years of experiences in Dar es Salaam yesterday .
By Orton Kiishweko
Madrasa centres may in future become fully accredited schools, Zanzibar's deputy chief minister Ali Juma Shamuhuna said yesterday.
He was speaking during the launch in Dar es Salaam of a book on the 25 years experience of the madrasa programme in the country.
Mr Shamuhuna represented Zanzibar president Amani Abeid Karume at the function organised by the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN).
Recently at Diamond Jubilee hall in Dar es Salaam, Mr Shamuhuna launched a publication- "The Madrasa Childhood Programme: 25 years of experience."
The book contains research, lessons and best practices of the AKDN�s education programmes to help both policymakers and practitioners in their work.
The AKDN, which manages the programme, marked the 25th anniversary of the Madrasa Early Childhood Development Programme.
"The Madrasa Programme was launched a quarter century ago at the request of East Africa's Muslim leaders. They wanted to improve the overall educational achievement of their children while at the same time promoting a secular, integrated curriculum based on the universal ethics and values of Islam and local cultural traditions," said the Madrasa regional committee chairman, Dr Farouk Topan.
He said the project had led to the establishment of quality, affordable and sustainable community-based early childhood development centres for all faiths, cultures and ethnicities.
The special event called "A Journey in Early Childhood Development," was also attended by Government officials. They included deputy Education minister Mwantuma Mahiza and deputy Community Development minister Lucy Nkya.
The book highlighted achievements of the programme in increasing the ability of children from marginalised communities in East Africa to access and succeed in primary schools and beyond.
This is achieved through fostering pre-school environments in children's formative years that are stimulating and appropriate in development and culture.
The foundation's CEO in Tanzania, Mr Altaaf Hashaam, noted that the madrasa curriculum adapted universal educational principles.
It did so in the regional context by the use of distinctly local learning aids made from available materials with close policy collaboration of the Education ministry.
The minister said the madrasa programmes could be included in the curriculum.
He said the Aga Khan Development network had worked to empower the rural people in the Isles.
The aim of the book was to share experiences that have emerged from the madrasa programme which started in 1982.
In Zanzibar, the deputy chief minister said, community-based schools had supported over 2000 children, thus greatly reducing drop outs.
The regional CEO of the foundation, Mr Arif Neky, said it was currently serving 65,000 children in the region.
It is intended to link between faith, culture and development but also trains non-muslims.
The programme which started 25 years ago is currently in Zanzibar, Mombasa and Kampala.
The US embassy Charge' d' Affaires, Mr Larry Andre', said the book showed clear evidence of the importance of early childhood development, calling it an investment that paid off to society.
A student who went through Zanzibar Madrasa Resource Centres, and apparently at Zanzibar university, gave a testimony of the centre's role in his earlier life.
The Madrasa Programme has benefited over 65,000 children in Mombasa, Kampala and Zanzibar. It has also trained over 5,000 teachers and 2,500 school committee members.
http://thecitizen.co.tz/newe.php?id=11753
The chief Executive officer of the Aga Khan Foundation East Africa Mr Arif Neky briefs Zanzibar Deputy Chief Minister Ali Juma Shamuhuna during the launch of a book titled �the madrasa childhood programme: 25 years of experiences in Dar es Salaam yesterday .
By Orton Kiishweko
Madrasa centres may in future become fully accredited schools, Zanzibar's deputy chief minister Ali Juma Shamuhuna said yesterday.
He was speaking during the launch in Dar es Salaam of a book on the 25 years experience of the madrasa programme in the country.
Mr Shamuhuna represented Zanzibar president Amani Abeid Karume at the function organised by the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN).
Recently at Diamond Jubilee hall in Dar es Salaam, Mr Shamuhuna launched a publication- "The Madrasa Childhood Programme: 25 years of experience."
The book contains research, lessons and best practices of the AKDN�s education programmes to help both policymakers and practitioners in their work.
The AKDN, which manages the programme, marked the 25th anniversary of the Madrasa Early Childhood Development Programme.
"The Madrasa Programme was launched a quarter century ago at the request of East Africa's Muslim leaders. They wanted to improve the overall educational achievement of their children while at the same time promoting a secular, integrated curriculum based on the universal ethics and values of Islam and local cultural traditions," said the Madrasa regional committee chairman, Dr Farouk Topan.
He said the project had led to the establishment of quality, affordable and sustainable community-based early childhood development centres for all faiths, cultures and ethnicities.
The special event called "A Journey in Early Childhood Development," was also attended by Government officials. They included deputy Education minister Mwantuma Mahiza and deputy Community Development minister Lucy Nkya.
The book highlighted achievements of the programme in increasing the ability of children from marginalised communities in East Africa to access and succeed in primary schools and beyond.
This is achieved through fostering pre-school environments in children's formative years that are stimulating and appropriate in development and culture.
The foundation's CEO in Tanzania, Mr Altaaf Hashaam, noted that the madrasa curriculum adapted universal educational principles.
It did so in the regional context by the use of distinctly local learning aids made from available materials with close policy collaboration of the Education ministry.
The minister said the madrasa programmes could be included in the curriculum.
He said the Aga Khan Development network had worked to empower the rural people in the Isles.
The aim of the book was to share experiences that have emerged from the madrasa programme which started in 1982.
In Zanzibar, the deputy chief minister said, community-based schools had supported over 2000 children, thus greatly reducing drop outs.
The regional CEO of the foundation, Mr Arif Neky, said it was currently serving 65,000 children in the region.
It is intended to link between faith, culture and development but also trains non-muslims.
The programme which started 25 years ago is currently in Zanzibar, Mombasa and Kampala.
The US embassy Charge' d' Affaires, Mr Larry Andre', said the book showed clear evidence of the importance of early childhood development, calling it an investment that paid off to society.
A student who went through Zanzibar Madrasa Resource Centres, and apparently at Zanzibar university, gave a testimony of the centre's role in his earlier life.
The Madrasa Programme has benefited over 65,000 children in Mombasa, Kampala and Zanzibar. It has also trained over 5,000 teachers and 2,500 school committee members.
http://thecitizen.co.tz/newe.php?id=11753