Surge in Preschools in 42 African Communities
Scaling up early childhood programs helps thousands of young children in resource-poor countries transition into school.
A surge in new preschools — 96 schools in 42 communities — is having a strong impact on thousands of African children ages 3-5. The preschools, one of which is in Mahuntsane, Mozambique, are designed not only to help children develop reading and readiness skills for first grade, but to establish the foundation for their longer-term ability to stay in school.
 |
| Twins Samuel and Pedro, five years old, attend one of the new preschools in Mozambique. |
Research has shown that children who participate in these programs are more prepared for elementary school, are more likely to stay in school, and do better academically than children who do not attend preschool. Yet in Mozambique, for example, only 4 percent of young children go to preschool, according to the Mozambique Ministry of Women and Social Action.
"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."
Helping Children Orphaned by HIV/AIDS
 |
Samuel and Pedro live with their grandmother who brings them to preschool. |
The preschools also are offering a safe place for children to play and learn, especially for children made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS. Case in point: twins Samuel and Pedro, age 5, are orphans who lost both parents to AIDS. They live with their grandmother in another village in Mozambique.
Samuel and Pedro now attend a new preschool. But when Save the Children first started working in this community, there was only one toy — a hula hoop — which all the kids had to share. The twins' grandmother is enthusiastic about the new school. "The school will help Pedro and Samuel grow and find something to do when they grow up. Pedro added, "I want to take my bath and eat so I can go to school."
Mozambique is home to some 370,000 children like Samuel and Pedro 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.
An added benefit of the new preschools is that they offer support to caregivers, many of whom are grandparents, and help reduce discrimination by including all children from the community in the classroom.
Training Teachers and Working with Local Artisans
In addition to supporting caregivers and the construction of new classrooms, Save the Children's programs are providing teacher training; the purchase of school materials, like floor mats, blackboards and pencils; and collaboration between local carpenters and artists to build toys and playgrounds from environmentally sustainable, locally available materials.
The preschools in Mozambique are being funded through a grant from the Charity Projects Entertainment Fund from donations raised through Idol Gives Back 2007. Dozens of schools in other African countries — Ethiopia, Guinea, Mali, Sudan, Southern Sudan, and Uganda — are also being supported by donations to Africa.
Learn more about preschools in Africa.
Last Updated August, 2008
See more Back-to-School Success Stories.
