In this newsletter you will find a round-up of CPC news, highlights from the recent work of our faculty affiliates, learning opportunities, and relevant vacancies.
On this last day of October, I have the privilege to write to you from Kampala, Uganda, where the AfriChild Centre of Excellence for the Study of the African Child at Makerere University has just completed its annual general meeting. We heard about AfriChild’s busy beehive of activity throughout Uganda, including an innovative program to bolster faculty capacity to undertake child-focused research in seven universities. Another unique program helps practitioners to better evaluate the quality and nature of evidence and then use it to improve their programs. All the while, AfriChild has undertaken research that centers children on the margins, including street-connected children and children living in residential care facilities.
The CPC Learning Network Secretariat has been involved with the AfriChild Centre from its humble beginnings. The seed for the AfriChild Centre grew from a small team of passionate researchers, government officials, and service providers who were working with children and families under duress. Recognizing the need to come together to better understand and then improve the services and supports on-offer to these children and families, that team came together and created the AfriChild Centre, which today features of staff of eight people as well as several associates. This inspiring team works tirelessly to bridge policy, practice, and evidence for better outcomes for children and families, and it is days like today when the good fortune of my career leaves me breathless. Thanks for all that you do, AfriChild.