Written by: Winny Cherotich- Action Manager, PAL Network | Outgoing thematic Lead Learner Centered Teaching Thematic Group, RELI Africa.
Transitioning from a leadership role is always a moment to pause and reflectt. As I step back from leading the Learner-Centred Teaching (LCT) Thematic Group at the Regional Education Learning Initiative (RELI) Africa, Kenya Chapter, I find myself looking back at what we achieved and the lessons this experience has etched into my understanding of leadership. The LCT thematic group focuses on understanding and developing learner centred teaching pedagogies to ensure learners have attained the necessary foundational numeracy and literacy skills, centers teachers as the drivers of learning to improve learning outcomes.
Leading a membership organisation like RELI Africa is unlike any other form of leadership. Here, authority does not rest on hierarchy but on influence, collaboration, and patience. Each member brings their own ongoing work, institutional priorities, and constraints, yet all converge around one shared goal: improving learning outcomes for children across East Africa. My role, therefore, was to facilitate and create spaces where our collective expertise could flourish.
A story of collaboration: Facilitating learning for children struggling to read
Globally, the World Bank estimates that seven out of every ten children in low- and middle-income countries suffer from “learning poverty”—the inability to read and understand a simple text by the age of ten. The long-term consequences are staggering; diminished lifetime earnings, entrenched cycles of poverty, and the curtailing of children’s potential before it can fully unfold.
While learning poverty remains a challenge in Kenya, it is even worse for children from the underserved communities. Schools in the urban informal settlements, including Kenya’s capital Nairobi do not benefit from the urban advantage. From this urgency was born one of the most rewarding initiatives I have had the privilege to lead, a collaboration between RELI Africa, Kenya Chapter, Strathmore University and Challenge Aid Africa. Our goal was simple but ambitious: to equip children with the foundational literacy skills that they need to thrive.
Despite near-universal primary school enrolment in Kenya where our work was anchored, a significant portion of children remain unable to meet minimum reading proficiency. A recent World Bank brief highlighted that 79% of children in Kenya at late primary age are not proficient in reading, when adjusted for out-of-school children. This figure, while slightly better than the Sub-Saharan Africa average, underscores a deep crisis in foundational learning. Usawa agenda’s Foundational Literacy and Numeracy Assessment (FLANA) Report (2023) indicated that overall, 41% of grade 4 learners at least met expectations in reading a grade 3 level English text. Looking at the higher grades, the situation is worrying, with 2 in 10 grade 8 and 3 in 10 grade 6 learners not meeting the expectations in reading a grade 3 level text. This situation undoubtedly requires bold, collective, and grassroots-driven action.
With leadership from the Community Service Centre at Strathmore University, we leveraged the university’s Service Based Learning (SBL) programme and mobilised over 60 students (distributed over four cohorts) in 2024 and 2025. The SBL programme requires that each undergraduate student dedicates 225 hours to community service before completing their undergraduate programme. The youthful, energetic, innovative, and dedicated students were eager to make an impact on society and put the theoretical work they had learned to practice.
The Strathmore students together with volunteer teachers from 18 schools in Nairobi’s urban informal settlements had both classroom and practical training sessions to prepare them to facilitate targeted literacy sessions. Over the course of 30 learning sessions in each cohort, the university students worked directly with 1304 children (706 boys and 598 girls) helping them to sound out letters, form words, and build the foundation of reading.
The outcomes were both measurable and deeply moving. Our assessments showed that over 60% of children progressed by at least one level of competency during the programme. Even more remarkable, 38% graduated with the ability to read at a story level.
Numbers tell part of the story, but it is the human experiences that linger. What has stayed with me most are the voices of those who lived this experience the teachers, students, and partners who breathed life into the program. Their words capture the spirit of transformation far better than any statistic could.
One teacher reflected on how the program reshaped her own practice:
“This has been a really impactful experience for me. I had to be patient, more empathetic, and meet each child at their point of need, not through group teaching, but by knowing Aisha’s needs, Wayne’s needs, and every learner as an individual. This program works because it individualizes the experience.”
For her, the shift was not only professional but personal. She discovered that patience and empathy are as vital as the curriculum itself.
From the children, the change was equally profound. One grade 6 learner described her journey with touching honesty:
“At first, I was shy. I didn’t want to read in front of people. But now, I think I have courage. I can read stories fluently, and I can even talk in front of others.”
This learner’s courage is echoed in countless other children who moved from hesitation to confidence, from silence to voice. For them, literacy was not just about reading, it was about dignity, courage, and possibility.
The university students who volunteered emerged transformed. With only basic training, they discovered that they could have a real influence in children’s lives:
“If university students with no special skills but a little training can help address this problem, imagine what we could do if more students across Kenya were involved. We can make a significant contribution to literacy levels in our schools.”
Finally, our partner organisations highlighted what makes this work so special:
“The partnership between universities, schools, and communities shows the power of collaboration. Training students and volunteer teachers together created excitement, energy, and hope. Over 65% of children improved, moving from one level to the next. This is proof that the intervention works.”
These voices are more than testimonials; they are reminders that change in education is possible, visible and deeply human. They remind us that leadership is not just about designing programs but about creating spaces where transformation can be experienced by everyone: teachers, children, and communities alike.
Lessons in Leadership
Looking back, I realise that the real value of my journey lies not only in the outcomes of projects but in the lessons, I have drawn about leadership in networks. Three lessons stand out most clearly:
1. Harnessing collective expertise
The literacy programme’s success was not the result of one person’s ideas but the blending of diverse strengths. Various organisations within the RELI Africa, Kenya LCT thematic group had conducted the Accelerated Learning Program in communities and schools and offered technical expertise as well as learning resources for the success of the initiative. Challenge Aid Africa offered access to schools and communities; Strathmore students brought passion and hands-on support; RELI Africa provided coordination and a shared mission.
My role was to act as the bridge, connecting these strengths into a coherent programme. This taught me that solutions are strongest when co-created and reinforced my conviction that the future of education reform lies in collaboration rather than competition.
2. The power and relevance of evidence
Data from our assessments proved the effectiveness of our approach, showing, for example, that over 65% of children moved up to the next higher competency level in just 30 sessions. But the numbers alone would not have carried the same weight without the human stories of children, who gained both literacy and confidence.
As a leader, I learned that evidence is what keeps our work relevant and credible, while stories make it compelling and human. Together, they provide the dual language needed to engage policymakers, motivate members, and inspire communities. For me, the importance and relevance of evidence lie in measuring impact and ensuring our work remains accountable, meaningful, and transformative.
3. Patience as a strategic necessity
My current work at the PAL Network secretariat prepared me well for leadership in RELI Africa. From PAL, I learned that patience is not just a virtue; it is essential when coordinating diverse organisations. Each member has her own priorities and constraints; alignment cannot be rushed.
At RELI Africa, I often had to slow down to listen, to build consensus, and to respect the pace of different partners. At times, progress felt slow, but it was precisely through patient dialogue that trust was built, and stronger partnerships emerged.
4. Personal Growth and Gratitude
Beyond institutional lessons, leading RELI Africa has been a deeply personal journey. I have learned to create space for diverse perspectives, to celebrate small wins while keeping sight of long-term goals, and to measure success not only in numbers but also in stories of transformation.
I am especially grateful to the colleagues and partners who walked this journey with me. The trust placed me to guide the Learner-Centred Teaching Thematic Group, and the experience has been both humbling and inspiring. Every discussion, every workshop, and every field visit deepened my belief in the power of collective action.
The story of our work is not mine alone, it belongs to the RELI Africa network. It belongs to the children who found joy in reading, to the university students who gave their energy and time, to the communities that opened their schools, and to the RELI Africa members who continue to push boundaries in education reform.
