The Challenge
Though there have been significant advances to the provision of basic health, education, and violence prevention services in West Africa, gaps in access and quality are still prevalent. As a result, countries such as Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Cote D’Ivoire still face significant, though different, challenges in ensuring children are able to grow and develop free of disease, abuse, and poor education outcomes.
The Opportunity
Results for Development Institute (R4D) – through the Center for Health Market Innovations (CHMI) and Center for Education Innovations (CEI) – is working in partnership with the UBS Optimus Foundation (UBSOF) to identify promising innovations focused on child health, education, or violence prevention in West Africa. Our approach focuses on identifying, studying, and supporting the diffusion of health and education innovations targeting children under 8, as well as violence prevention programs serving children 18 and below. R4D works through in-country partners with deep understanding of the operating environment and current active program models with children as beneficiaries in Ghana, the Cote D’Ivoire, Liberia, and Sierra Leone.
Our Work
Key activities include:
- Country-based landscape research: alongside local partners, R4D is identifying country-specific challenges in child health, education, and violence prevention in each of the four countries. This is being done through desk research, as well as interviews with local experts
- Program model identification: R4D is identifying innovations operating within the four countries addressing key child health, education, and violence prevention challenges. This allows for a broader understanding of the work currently being done in Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Cote D’Ivoire in these sectors, to guide the Foundation’s priorities in the region. R4D is also drawing on the CHMI and CEI program databases to identify programs from other country contexts suitable for adaptation. Relevant programs may be shortlisted for funding opportunities.
