Janet Mwitiki

Bold Idea: Strengthen a community of practice model for training preschool teachers in the informal settlements to integrate child protection into their ECD programs, in addition to providing high quality care and development. Share lessons learned from the local program as a model with the local administration, as well as Government Policy developers for replication.

Path to Metis: Janet is a passionate and visionary Child Care and Development Specialist with over 20 years of experience in ECD lobby and advocacy. Prior to joining Kidogo, she worked at Moi Air Base as the Head of Kindergarten, then joined International Child Resource Institute as a National ECD coordinator. As the National ECD coordinator, she worked in the slums of Kiambio during the post-election violence in 2008 in counselling children in child care centres. Through these experiences, it was evident that the teachers lacked knowledge on how to respond to these traumatized children and therefore, she initiated a child protection training that supported both the teachers and grassroots organizations with the relevant skills on how to identify and respond to common forms of abuse.

As a child advocate specialist, she successfully developed child protection policies for both International Child Resource Institute and Kidogo Innovations which are currently being used both internationally and locally. As a founding team member and the Director of Pedagogy at Kidogo, she has developed a unique play-based approach that is being used in improving the quality of learning for under threes in their child care centres. As a Training Facilitator for Kidogo Innovations caregivers, she spearheaded development and implementation of the T.O.T and C.O.P model used by the Kidogo teachers to discuss their field challenges and solutions within their context.

Due to her hard work in ECD, Janet was selected as a Global Leader for Young Children by the World Forum Foundation in 2009 and served up to 2013 where she is an alumnae. She is also a founding member of the Kenya ECD Network that advocates for young children in Kenya. Janet has both a BA and a Masters in Early Childhood Development from Kenyatta University.

More About Janet: LinkedIn Profile Parents Magazine: Three Women, One Mission