|
"Idol Gives Back" Preschools Open in Mozambique
More than 3,000 Children Mark Their First Day of School
Westport, Conn. (July 1, 2008) — As July 4th festivities and summer vacations begin in the United States, thousands of children, ages 3 to 5, are starting preschool in five districts of the southern province of Gaza in Mozambique, thanks to American Idol viewers. The global humanitarian organization Save the Children announced today that 96 preschools in 42 communities, funded through a grant from the Charity Projects Entertainment Fund (CPEF) from donations raised through Idol Gives Back 2007, opened in May and June. Many of the children attending the preschools have lost one or both parents to HIV/AIDS.
"Save the Children is grateful to American Idol fans who gave generously when asked to help children in need during the televised Idol Gives Back charity event," said Save the Children’s Mozambique Country Director John Grabowski. "With their support, children living in some of the poorest villages in remote areas of Mozambique are now learning their alphabet and numbers, and getting an early start on school."
 |
Save the Children staff registering children for preschool. |
Save the Children, which has preschool programs for children in need in 27 countries around the globe including the United States, knows from experience the advantages of giving children an early start on school. Research has shown that children who participate in these programs are more prepared for elementary school, and are more likely to stay in school and do better academically than children who do not attend preschool. Yet, only 4 percent of young Mozambican children go to preschool, according to the Mozambique Ministry of Women and Social Action.
Donations raised through Idol Gives Back are helping to fund teacher training; the purchase of school materials like floor mats, blackboards and pencils; and construction materials. Local community members in each village, including several skilled carpenters, volunteered their time to build classrooms. Other community members are donating their time to teach at the schools.
Additionally, funds are supporting a collaborative effort between local carpenters and students of a technical art school to build toys and playgrounds with environmentally sustainable and locally available materials. The preschool playgrounds will be built over the next year.
"On behalf of the Charity Projects Entertainment Fund/Idol Gives Back, we are very proud of our partnership with Save the Children," said Rick Scott, CPEF Board Member. "Through projects like this one in Mozambique the generous donations from the American public are making a real difference to people's lives across Africa as well as at home in the U.S."
The American Idol-funded preschools are preparing children for elementary school by teaching them Portuguese, the official language of Mozambique, and basic reading and writing skills.
"Many children drop out in first grade because they are not prepared for school," said Damião Mungoi, education program coordinator for Save the Children in Mozambique. "These children live in rural and remote villages where they speak dozens of local languages. When entering first grade, they are overwhelmed and confused because they don't know Portuguese, the national language used in schools. But now, by attending preschool, these children will learn basic Portuguese and will be ready for first grade."
 |
Women clearing the land for preschool playgrounds. |
The preschools also are offering a safe place for children to play and learn, especially children made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS. Mozambique is home to some 370,000 children who have lost one or both parents to HIV/AIDS, according to UNAIDS. Children orphaned at a young age are frequently discriminated against and lack the same care and support of their older siblings. Preschools offer support to caregivers, many of whom are grandparents, and help reduce discrimination by including all children from the community in the classroom.
Save the Children received $13.5 million in donations from Idol Gives Back in 2007, and an additional $1 million from Allstate Insurance Company to improve the lives of children in need in the United States and Africa. Donations to Africa have supported health and education programs in six countries, Ethiopia, Guinea, Mali, Mozambique, South Sudan and Uganda.
Save the Children began working in Mozambique in 1988 with an innovative pilot program to help rehabilitate child soldiers. The program continued for seven years, well after the country's civil war ended in 1992. Today, the global humanitarian organization implements programs focused on education, emergency response, food security, health and HIV/AIDS in several provinces of Mozambique.
