Kindergarten

Kindergarten after the roof blew off

It came as a surprise to find in August 07, that classes were being provided in what was thought to be a derelict, decrepit shell of a former headmasters house. The wood was rotten, the windows mostly boarded up. Then the head teacher told me that is was being used as a kindergarten, to get the kids used to school, used to each other and allow their parents to get on with their tasks and earn a living. The kids would sit on the floor, in the semi dark and take their lessons

Then one day the building was hit be a "Wizard of Oz" whirlwind and the metal roof blew over onto itself, opening the class to the elements.  At least the kids got more light. But I charge anyone to walk away from a situation like this without helping.

So we pretty much knocked down the old building and built a new one, a larger multi-purpose building, with big windows, solid wooden frames that have been termite proofed. Then the volunteers in Feb08 painted the inside to help stimulate and educate

learning numbers by sam sutherland

"Poor children are likely to grow up to become poor adults and give birth to poor children"

LTT recognises that learning begins at birth and is the responsibility not just of the parents (physical, psychological and emotional security and development), but also the responsibility of society through the medium of the state (hospitals, schools, economic stability and protection), religion and other social institutions (extended families, community groups, NGOs).

Tanzania is, as a developing country, one of the poorest countries in the world and lacks the funds to invest in hospitals, schools, infrastructure, safe water and sanitation systems and other such institutions that we take for granted.

In the past the extended families were well suited for parenting and sharing of the roles and responsibilities, but the shape of the African family is changing.  Lack of employment opportunities, agricultural productivity and lack of access of basic social infrastructure has lead to massive rural urban migration and in some cases international migration of both unskilled workers looking for work or skilled workers looking for greater financial return, while others are struck down with HIV/AIDS. The impact is to increase the pressure on the extended families, increase the pressure on the grandparents, the single parents and the eldest siblings and as early childhood development becomes more important to escape poverty, the less likely it is that it can be realised from within the family unit. If future generations are to be able to meet the ever-changing world demands, Governments and NGO's must be called upon to fill this void.

In broad terms it related to the prenatal health care of the mother and continuing from birth to the age of 6. It related to the emotional, physical and intellectual development of the child. This is usually divided between care for 0-3 and 4-6.

There is a direct positive relationship between those children who have attended childhood development programmes and those who have not in terms of improved health; increased enrolment and retention in primary and secondary school; improved behaviour; and better academic performance. This suggests that early childhood development is essential for improving the quality and capacity of the population, increasing adult productivity and mitigating the effects of poverty, disease and civil strife, whilst research also suggests that it has lead to a later age of motherhood and greater empowerment for women

One of the fundamental keys to the success of programmes has been the improved diet that the children have been receiving. Malnourished children will interact less with caregivers, they are less likely to seek stimulation and will therefore get less stimulated by caregivers who may become disinclined to enrol them in school or preschool programmes. Malnourishment can also impair cognitive development and reduce a person ability to learn, furthermore hungry children are less likely to pay attention (and in a class of 100, this will go unnoticed) and thus learn less. This may seem obvious to most of us, but when you live in extreme poverty the focus is on getting the energy to get through the day and nutritional balance comes a low second. Poverty perpetuates poverty - this is the cycle we are striving to change.

LTT is aiming to create a chain of educational excellence. In line with this strategy we are developing the primary school at Waangwaray and its associated kindergarten. The kindergarten seeks to provide early childhood development for the younger children of the community. Yet there are a number of problems associated with the pre-existing programme, which LTT want to help address.

Short-term sustainability 

Some of the parents who send their children to the school fail to pay the cost, yet their children are still allowed to attend. With this level of control there is little reason why those who do pay should continue.

The lack of revenue into the programme leads to insufficient funds to pay for nutritious meals for the children and leads to stunted growth and reduces a child's ability to learn. We need to seek ways of enhancing the nutritional value of the children's lunch.

The lack of revenue also impacts on the ability to pay for the teacher and the school cook. The teacher is highly qualified and might be forced to work elsewhere despite not wanting to.

Long-term sustainability

It is estimated that there are over 90 eligible children within the community who could attend this programme, yet the up take is only half that. The reasons for the lack of up take need to be investigated and addressed. Poverty may be a large part of the answer, as might distance from the class, lack of understanding of the benefits of the programme, children being look after by older siblings.

 1. We need funds to start the research that needs to be done into the causes for lack of attendance to the primary school and those causes need to be tackled and the behaviour patterns changed so that it is sustainable.

2. We need funds to provide an interim solution for the teachers salary so that we can retain her

3. We need funds to pay for a more nutritious daytime meal for the children.**

4. We need funds to buy educational materials for the school to help them develop

Costs

** - all foods will be bought locally inline with our policy of pro-poor purchasing