We create schools, programs and communities around the common goal of education for all.

Here’s how we do it:

IDENTIFY LOCAL PARTNERS

IREAD works in partnership with local community leaders and NGOs such as Rotary Clubs (in Uganda) and Aga Khan Education Services (in Pakistan). With their input, IREAD field teams identify villages that demonstrate a demographic need for early childhood development (ECD); are willing to help build, operate and manage an ECD centre; and have land that can be donated for an IREAD ECD Centre

SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION

Once a village is selected, an agreement is signed with the community specifying the amount of locally available materials and unskilled labour it will provide for the construction. This ensures that costs are contained and that the community is engaged and feels a sense of ownership. IREAD provides the services of an architect, engineer, stonemason, carpenter, plumber and other skilled labour, as well as all construction materials, and furnishes and equips the ECD Centres.

EMPOWER LOCAL COMMUNITY MEMBERS

A village-led Centre Management Committee (CMC) is established in each village that hosts an IREAD ECD centre. In Uganda, the CMC operates and maintains the IREAD ECD Centre with the support of the IREAD field team. In Northern Pakistan, the CMCs work with the Aga Khan Education Service to operate the schools. School fees paid to CMCs by parents go toward paying the teachers, learning materials and supplies, maintaining and securing the ECD centre, providing the children with a daily meal, and other incidental costs.

IREAD program managers regularly visit IREAD centres to monitor and evaluate the delivery of the program, and to support the CMC’s management of the centre.

ONGOING SUPPORT

Most parents are subsistence farmers and drought, heavy rains, low market prices, and other misfortunes often leave them unable to pay school fees. IREAD facilitates opportunities for families to generate income (we recently introduced organic chia growing to certain Uganda villages) and fundraises to help CMCs fill gaps when necessary.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE IREAD APPROACH

OUR 100% PROMISE

A private family foundation and IREAD USA directors pay for IREAD’s administrative costs, so every dollar you give goes toward supporting IREAD students, teachers, and ECD centres. This gives you the confidence that your gift will go directly to the children who need it most.

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“The Jaffer Foundation has created an endowment that will continue to contribute annually to agencies that deliver well-conceived ECD  to children in the developing world. This legacy funding will see IREAD continue its activities for many years to come by using these endowment funds for administrative costs” – Dr. Noor Jaffer

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QUALITY EDUCATION, WELL TRAINED TEACHERS

Local community members are recruited and trained as ECD teachers and caregivers. IREAD provides Ugandan teachers with their initial training and ongoing professional development. Our Uganda centres are certified and registered with the Ministry of Education and Sports and follow the national ECD curriculum. Aga Khan Education Services trains IREAD ECD centre teachers in Pakistan in their curriculum and operates many of the IREAD centres.

OUR PARTNERS

We partner with rural communities and local NGOs to make education accessible. The IREAD Field Team identifies villages that need an Early Childhood Development Centre, are willing to donate land and are able to elect a Centre Management Committee (CMC).

We’re proudly partnered with the following organisations:

The Aga Khan Education Service, Pakistan (AKESP)

The Aga Khan University’s Professional Development Centre in Chitral (PDCC)

Rotary Club of Kampala Day Break and other local Rotary Clubs

Uganda is our home. This is the country of our birth and it is where our hopes and dreams began. This country is never far from our thoughts and what better way to show our love than through a powerful gift of education, starting with the children.

IREAD allowed us to show our love and gratitude. The IREAD organization was transparent and kept us informed as the Mary’s Shining Stars ECD Centre was being constructed and the field team’s knowledge and ability to work with local partners made sure the community felt empowered every step of the way. 

Working with IREAD and supporting Uganda’s children  was the perfect way to help us make sure curiosity can bloom, confidence can soar and positive changes can take root for the children and their families.  It is the start that all children should have.

 

We feel grateful and blessed to show our love for Uganda, starting with the children.

Naju and Mary Lalji, Vancouver, Canada, Donors of Mary's Shining Stars ECD Centre, Lobule, Uganda