A Safety Net in Zimbabwe: Early Care and Development Provided by Nhaka Foundation
The Nhaka Foundation, a Zimbabwean non-profit organization, was established in 2007 to provide access to education and health care for...
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Humanity. Collaboration. Compassion
Books & Publications
Here are some insights into some of my publications.
Books
Authored and Co-Authored by
Patrick Makokoro Ph. D
Patrick Makokoro's books are a source of inspiration and knowledge, covering diverse topics such as leadership, resilience, social entrepreneurship, and innovation.
Nhaka Yenyu
Your Inheritance
Through laughter and tears, victories and defeats, the author discovered that resilience is not merely surviving; it's about finding the courage to thrive despite the challenges we encounter. This memoir is a testament to the power of perseverance, the beauty of vulnerability, and the indomitable spirit that resides within us all. So come, let us embark on this journey together, for it is in sharing our stories that we find connection, understanding, and ultimately, the resilience to face whatever lies ahead.
Nhaka Yenyu Book
Letting a Thousand Flowers Bloom
This book provides an insightful exploration for parents, educators, funders, practitioners and policymakers, offering a nuanced understanding of the work implemented by early childhood development networks operating in Africa.
Hu-Ubuntu
I Am Because We Are
This book was conceptualized following racialized attacks on my son. What is said at the dinner tables about Black, Indigenous and People of Color finds its way to schools and has a significant consequence on the lives of children. This children’s book aims to teach children, parents, guardians, educators and school administrators about the values of respect, humanity, and relationships.
Sankofa in time of COVID: Reflections on Early Childhood Education, Care and Development in Africa
This book seeks to address these two questions; Why does the world not know about how ECD is understood in Africa’, and indeed in other parts of the Majority (Developing) World?’ with a hope of stimulating other regions of the world to tell their stories through their own, contextualized understandings. The book does not claim to be exhaustive. It calls out for others in Africa, and in other parts of the Majority World, to tell their stories. Those stories, experiences, understandings and perspectives are not just important for those who live them, but for the world. The stories of children’s care and development from around the globe is historically rich and diverse. The World of ECD has yet to write, yet to tell, its ‘full story’— Sankofa is one step in that direction.
Journal Articles
Authored and Co-Authored by Patrick Makokoro
Patrick Makokoro's articles on early childhood development are insightful and practical, making them a must-read for anyone interested in the sector.
Teacher Professional Development in Zimbabwe: Bridging Resources to Serve Young Children
Makokoro, P & Christenson, L. (2024).
This bounded case study illuminates the planning, delivery, and evaluation of early childhood professional development sessions conducted by the educational experts with a Zimbabwean non-profit organization in response to a need for professional development for early childhood teachers. Ethnographic and grounded theory methods were used by participant observers to collect and analyze data, including observational notes taken during the planning, delivery, and evaluation of the training as well as professional development materials and exit surveys completed by the participants.
Sankofa Lessons from Africa and Letting a Thousand Flowers Bloom. Early Childhood Educators BC
Makokoro, P (2024).
In 2012, I helped establish an early childhood development network called the Zimbabwe Network for Early Childhood Development Actors (ZINECDA). This perhaps could be comparable to the Canadian Childcare Federation, an organization working with educators, funders, and policymakers in the provincial and federal governments. T hat is what ZINECDA set out to do in Zimbabwe and 12 years later continues to do. Early childhood networks became something I was interested in professionally as I saw the importance of teachers, policymakers, funders, and stakeholders in the education sector coming together to discuss challenges and opportunities in the sector.
Investment in early childhood development: Strong foundations for higher education in Tanzania and Zimbabwe.
Pastory Majani, W. & Makokoro, P. (2020).
In this paper we argue why higher education should be concerned with early childhood development (ECD) and demonstrate how investment in ECD can form a strong foundation for more children pursuing higher education. On the other hand, we substantiate how higher education can be inferred to create, plan and design relevant curricula and programs that support early childhood development policy and practice in Tanzania and Zimbabwe. It is undeniable that planned well ECD and higher education influence one another. Implying that while early ECD forms a strong basis for higher education, higher education can influence the planning and designing of relevant curricula and learning activities that suit early childhood education. In other words, we see higher education as an important ECD partner in designing and delivering contextually relevant early childhood education services and programs in Tanzania and Zimbabwe.
Emerging Networks in sub-Saharan Africa – More is Better.
Makokoro, P. (2019).
In Africa, advancements in education will be more likely if barriers that limit participation by small grassroots organizations can be brought down. Increased participation and diverse inclusion in conversations about early childhood development will enhance the understanding of quality early childhood programs and what can be done to promote quality in various contexts.
What does Africa’s young leadership mean for the continent’s early childhood development future? And what stands in its way?
Makokoro, P. (2019).
Africa’s emerging leadership is made up of young people who have energy, passion, and vision for the continent. Harnessed well, this passion and energy will ensure African countries will be able to benefit from an array of human capital that can take the early childhood development agenda on the continent forward. But many challenges stand in the way of the emerging young leadership – and it is essential that we give our children and youth the tools to overcome them. Early Childhood Development is a pillar and tool that can assist young leaders to pick up their role in the development of their nations and continent. Early investments in young children through early childhood development programmes that support a strong start and foundation have been proven to be cost-effective. As the continent boasts of a young population, how prepared are the youth to lead in early childhood development in the future that lies ahead? It is essential that young people be a central and active pillar in the continents development agenda and participate in early childhood development. For the transformation and development process of the continent to forge ahead, leadership capacity promotion in early childhood development must be a priority to help create a secure, prosperous, and peaceful continent. The author highlights some capacity promotion initiatives that he has participated in and the role they have played in building leadership capacity in early childhood development.
Advancing advocacy through national early childhood development networks.
Makokoro, P. (2019).
While much has been done to address the situation of children around the world, much more needs to be done to ensure that the rights of all children are protected and that they are able to live up to their full potential. More needs to be done specifically to address the low funding and resource allocation to Early Childhood Development (ECD), slow implementation of polices, limited access to services particularly by the poor and
vulnerable, variability in the quality of services as well as the lack of coordination amongst service providers in different sectors. As more country early childhood development networks emerge, it is important to look at the role advocacy networks play in ensuring that children are supported through holistic efforts that meet their health, nutrition, educational and cognitive developmental needs. This paper takes a case study approach
looking at the impact of Advocacy Networks and the role played by the Zimbabwe Network of Early Childhood Development Actors in addressing early childhood development policy gaps and membership challenges in Zimbabwe.
Investigating the role of community organizations in advancing the early childhood development agenda: A case study of Nhaka Foundation Zimbabwe.
Makokoro, P. (2019).
Local organizations may sometimes be deemed as ones that don’t know or have the requisite expertise to implement long lasting programs that leave an indelible impact on the communities. Furthermore, local organizations are able to clearly understand the challenges that local people face and therefore work to address these through inclusive community development processes that ensure that community members are involved and their “strengths” appreciated not only in the context of the project but in the well-being of the entire community. This case study looks at the Nhaka Foundation in Zimbabwe, founded in 2007 and working to implement ground up early childhood development (ECD) activities that have sustainability and local ownership as key anchors to programming.
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