PRE-SCHOOL PROGRAMME
Increasing access to early childhood education and care for isolated children.
A pre-school education gives young children the cognitive stimulation, numeracy and literacy skills, and emotional care they need to enter primary school. Without it, according to the World Bank, children are more likely to have a poor academic performance, drop out of school early or miss out on an education altogether. According to the UNDP, an estimated 46% of children drop out of primary school in Malawi and 23% in Zimbabwe.
We therefore work in communities in Malawi and Zimbabwe where vulnerable children do not have access to a pre-school. They may be living in a rural area where one is not available, or due to their economic circumstances, their parents are unable to afford the fees.
Together with three of our partners, we give communities the tools to set up, run and sustain their own pre-schools by:
TRAINING
community volunteers in early learning and childhood development so they can become pre-school teachers.
PROVIDING
materials, such as paint and iron sheets, and organising classroom, kitchen and toilet facilities to be built with help from the community.
SUPPLYING
stationary, furniture and learning equipment to assist in the children’s development.
TEACHING
parents and community members how to make play equipment from locally sourced and low cost materials.
TRAINING
teachers and community members how to establish and maintain food gardens so the children have a meal every day.
CREATING
Community Committees to oversee and help with the management of the pre-school.
“I learnt that you do not need to preach to children to teach them, but you teach them through play to make it interactive.”
Rose* was trained in 2016 and teaches at Sunrise Pre-School in Zimbabwe.
THE IMPACT
The physical and psychological health of vulnerable children improves as they are supported in their development.
More children attend and remain in primary school, giving them access to long-term education opportunities.
Parents and guardians are able to work and earn an income with the help of our Village Investors Programme (VIP) whilst their children are at pre-school.
In 2019 we are running 26 pre-schools in Malawi and Zimbabwe.
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