International Child care and Education (ICE) centre

Pre-school education and care is very crucial in the educational and adult lives of children. Despite such crucial importance, the Uganda government makes no investment in it; and has left it to local communities. However, most Ugandans are rural poor peasants or poor slum dwellers who do not easily access or afford it. Peasantry livelihoods limit most parents’ financial ability to pay school and care fees. Further, most Kindergartens are located far and are inaccessible. This project seeks to enable all to access and afford this vital service for their children. It seeks external support to meet its pressing needs and become self-sustaining.

The context

 The area of education needing most attention but getting least in Uganda is pre-school education and child care. Pre-school education and childcare strongly affect children’s academic and adult lives. Children who access quality pre-school education and care are not only likely to successfully complete school, but also less likely to develop social problems such as criminality. Those who receive no pre-primary education and care find it difficult to settle into primary and secondary school to learn. They may be disruptive to other children’s learning processes or may be withdrawn. They go to next classes with big learning gaps, and cannot get the most out of education opportunities.

Although there is free universal primary and secondary education in Uganda, pre-primary education and care is funded privately by individual parents. Most of these parents are poor and have many children. The Uganda Bureau of Statistics reveals that out of the over 32 million Ugandans, around 27 million live in rural areas. Over 10 million and 8 million are children under 9 and 5 years respectively. This is a considerably big market but of poor customers in business terms.

Some private entrepreneurs in communities are offering pre-primary education. But their predominantly business and high profit orientation limits the service to the rich minority. They also mix children of all ages in one structure to minimise costs. They are far from the poor majority in most parts of the country.

Intervention

It is within the above context that we propose to offer an age specific, simpler, nearer and affordable service to our immediate community and other surrounding villages. A centre to educate and care for specifically 2-5 old children was set up nearer to the community. The centre is operated by teachers and child carers whom we train in our own empowerment academy, and who are got through a careful selection process. All parents and guardians are able to meet the costs because they are charitably low; since profit is not the main basis for the centre.

 The services and beneficiaries

1. Quality pre-primary education for at least 100 children aged 2-5:- staying with children throughout agreed time frames, playing with them and presenting age- appropriate materials and environments for them to develop and learn. Providing materials such as toys, counting or reading items and play parks for imagination, learning and playing respectively is done or envisioned.
2. Similarly, child care and feeding for all 2-5-year-olds above is done. We aim to provide nutritious food for children, provide appropriate resting/sleeping environment and offer toiletry related care like bathing and dressing.
3. Guidance and counselling for parents on talent potentials of children so as to accelerate their development into ACTS scholarship program.
4. Victims of injustices are placed into gainful work as teachers and cleaners. They earn a salary and improve their standards of living and that of those they support.

For details about what is going on under this project, please click here