SESSION NOTES
Lessons from the 5th Knowledge Session – Frontline Realities, Local Agency, and the Role of OBF
The 5th Knowledge Exchange Session held on 3 September 2025, and explored how OBF interacts with frontline realities and local agency — shifting the conversation from financing mechanisms to the lived experiences of teachers, caregivers, and communities. Through a keynote presentation by a leading scholar in early childhood education in Sub-Saharan Africa, an expert panel, and group conversations, participants examined how to design OBF that works with and for local systems rather than on them. This document is a synthesis of the discussion and insights that came out of the session.