Make a Child’s First Steps the Right Steps

Namibia’s national platform for trusted Early Childhood Development information, support, and advocacy.

Why the Early Years Matter

A group of young children waving happily while standing on a wooden platform.

RightStart promotes the importance of nurturing care during the early years of life — making a child’s first steps the right steps.

Co-led by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare, the Ministry of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sports, Arts and Culture, and the Ministry of Health and Social Services. Supported by UNICEF, the EU, and Interteam.
A child thrives in a safe, nurturing environment. Each child’s future is a shared responsibility.

Our Vision

To contribute to a Namibia where every child is able to reach their full potential by having the Right Start in life, supported by informed parents, family, and community.

Our Mission

To help Namibian children live in an enabling, positive, inclusive, and nurturing environment that supports them to grow, learn, and develop into their best selves.

Our Objective

Through RightStart, stakeholders and organisations understand how important the early years of a child’s life are — especially in terms of ensuring optimal support through adequate nutrition, healthcare, early learning and play, caring and responsive parenting, and protection from violence and harm.

Our work is guided by the RightStart Strategy 2025–2030 — a two-pronged approach to brand awareness and behaviour-change programme implementation. Read the strategy online or download a copy.

OUR GOALS

What We’re Working Towards

To establish RightStart as the trusted voice and central communication platform for all matters related to ECD.

To foster multi-stakeholder advocacy on ECD.

To drive public awareness and demand for quality ECD services.

To catalyse behaviour change in caregivers and communities.

To enhance the reach and impact of existing ECD programmes.

THE NURTURING CARE FRAMEWORK FOR ECD

The Right Steps for Every Child

Good Health

Stay healthy from the start of pregnancy.

Adequate Nutrition

Each mouthful is building a brain and body.

Safety and Security

Protect the child from harm. Reject all forms of abuse.

Responsive Caregiving

An early bond makes parenting easier.

Opportunities for Early Learning

Learning really is lifelong. It starts at the start of life.

Inclusion and Disability

All children deserve the right start.

RightStart Messages

Good Health

Pregnancy is a critical time for both mother’s and baby’s health; everything you consume, the environment you’re in, and the care you seek all shape your child’s future. Avoid alcohol, tobacco, and drugs as exposure during this period can cause lasting damage to your baby’s developing brain and body.

Avoid abusive or stressful environments.

Visit clinics regularly during pregnancy and after birth. Get check-ups and vaccines to keep your baby safe from deadly diseases.

Fathers, join your partner at these visits. Your presence builds strong family bonds and gives her the support she needs most.

Protect your child now.

Download Resources

Adequate Nutrition

Children who receive good nutrition in their early years are more likely to grow well, learn better, and stay healthy.

It starts from the very first feed. In the first six months, your baby’s body cannot fight illness on its own. Breast milk carries the antibodies they need to stay healthy and develop properly.

Breast milk is best! It is free, always ready, and the single most powerful thing you can give your baby in the first six months. As your baby grows, keep adding well-balanced, nutrient-rich foods to every meal.

After six months, breast milk alone is no longer enough. Introduce soft, nutrient-rich foods alongside breastfeeding. Each meal feeds their growing brain and body.

A well-fed child is a child who is ready to learn, grow, and thrive in life. And as they grow, make sure every meal is varied and balanced — because young children need different food groups every single day to thrive.

Download Resources

Safety and Security

Violence and neglect can stunt a child’s brain development. The change starts with us.

Choose non-violence in your home and your community. Use kind words and gentle guidance to shape behaviour, not punishment.

Keep the spaces where children live clean and safe. Protect them from harm. Report child abuse. Children’s rights are not a choice.

Start in your own home — choose kindness over punishment, safety over harm, and protection over silence. Report child abuse. Speak up. Because a child who grows up safe, grows up ready for life.

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Responsive Caregiving

From the moment your baby is born, they need more than food and shelter; they need your love, your touch, and your presence.

Hold them. Cuddle them. Talk to them every single day. These simple acts of love build a bond that makes your child feel safe, valued, and ready to face the world.

Kind and patient parenting raises children who are confident and well-adjusted. Harsh punishment damages a child’s brain and breaks their trust. Choose love, choose patience, and use positive ways to guide their behaviour.

Fathers, your role goes beyond providing. Your child needs your love, attention, and active presence/involvement every day.

From birth, take time to hold, cuddle, talk to, and connect with your baby. Be an active partner in caregiving, daily routines, playtime, and special bonding moments. Guide your child with patience, praise, and other positive parenting practices, choosing non-violent discipline and positive cultural practices that help them grow with confidence and security.

Download Resources

Opportunities for Early Learning

Did you know? From the very first day of life, your child’s brain is growing and learning.

And for children under 5, play is how that learning happens. Every game, every song, and every story you share is building their brain.

When you speak, sing, and tell those stories, especially in your home language, with your child, whether at home or at an ECD centre, these simple moments build the skills that matter most: their language, their thinking, and their ability to connect with the world around them.

Do not wait; set the foundation now. The earlier you start, the stronger the foundation. Encourage free, expressive play, talk with your child, sing together, and tell stories daily, to give every child the best start to life.

Every child belongs. Parents should learn about developmental milestones and seek help early if they notice any delays or concerns in their child’s development. Children with disabilities should be included in play, learning, and everyday activities; ECD centres and teachers should make the necessary adjustments to support them. Watch, listen, and respond to each child’s needs, and challenge stigma or discrimination wherever it appears. Children with disabilities are especially vulnerable to abuse, neglect, and social isolation, so it is important to stay vigilant and protect their rights.

Download Resources

Inclusion and Disability

All children deserve the right start.

Parents, educate yourselves on developmental milestones. Request a health care worker to provide you with information.

If you have concerns about your child’s development, seek help as soon as possible from a medical doctor for quality medical assessment and care.

Teachers, children with disabilities should be accommodated in your classes and supported with individualised learning.

Watch, listen, adapt: every child’s needs are different — respond early, speak to parents, and seek additional support if you feel children have disabilities or developmental delays.

Teachers, promote inclusion in and outside classrooms for peer-to-peer support, play and learning.

ECDs, include and integrate children with disabilities. Inclusive play is powerful play.

Every child belongs — in classrooms, playgrounds, and storytelling.

Challenge stereotypes: speak up when you hear myths or stigma about disability, and advocate for the rights of children with disabilities.

Model inclusion: invite every child to play, learn, and belong.

Offer support to families with disabilities who might need extra assistance or accommodations.

Children with disabilities are especially vulnerable to abuse, neglect, or social isolation — stay vigilant and prevent mistreatment.

Download Resources

OUR COMMUNITY

Voices for Every Child

A child thrives in a safe, nurturing environment, and each child’s future is a shared responsibility.

Join parents, caregivers, ECD centres, and partners across Namibia building the Right Start for every child — from the first heartbeat to the first day of school and beyond.

Get Involved