Life in Kwanjama Village, Traditional Authority Bvumbwe, turns at a slow pace. Goats bleat in the distance as women return from a communal water pump with filled buckets. On an open ground along the gullied footpath, smiling children can be seen kicking a ball made of single-use plastics.
Among the women walking home, Annie Teneti, 42, sounds determined to give her four-year-old son a solid start in life despite her low income.
Every morning, she takes her son, Hopeson, to a nearby nursery school where he learns by playing and singing with his peers.
Science shows quality early childhood development (ECD) boosts a child’s learning ability, school performance and productivity in the job market.
However, many households cannot afford private kindergartens. This pushes them to makeshift community-based childcare centres mushrooming in rural areas.
“I couldn’t bear watching my son stuck at home while his age-mates were going to school with bags on their backs,” Teneti says. “My son deserved a chance, but we had no money.”
Her neighbour Agnes Phiri, a mother of four, rues widowhood.
“My husband’s death dashed my dream to send my children to a nursery school,” she says. “It was beyond my means.”
Quality ECD in Malawi has long been a luxury reserved for children from well-off families in urban settings. Government reports that less than 40 percent of children attend any form of early childhood education programme.
However, Hopeson’s turning point came when For A Change Foundation opened a free nursery school near his home.
“It was the first of its kind in my rural area,” says Teneti, pointing at the facility with corrugated iron sheets and brightly painted brick walls.
It buzzes with children at play using playthings from recycled materials.
“When the nursery school opened its doors, I didn’t hesitate to enrol my son,” says Teneti. “I couldn’t believe it was all free of charge: the childcare, schooling, food, even books!”.
From Monday to Friday, Hopeson wakes up early, proudly wears a clean uniform donated by the charity and runs to class together with his buzzing peers.
Throughout the morning, they learn, sing, play, read aloud and recite the alphabet and vowels.
For Teneti, the benefits go beyond the newly acquired knowledge and skills Hopson brags about when he returns home.
The tomato seller is saving for the boy’s education and dream of becoming a teacher.
“I no longer think about the daily food only, but what tomorrow holds for my children.”
In a country where over half the population is below 18 and over three quarters in poverty, quality ECD is a lifeline to a bright future.
For families Teneti’s, early childhood education offers their children a chance to break the poverty cycle.
Mary-Annie Simango, who co-founded the charity, says many children were idling at home before the nursery school opened its doors.
She states: “It’s a pity that in Malawi, early education is often beyond the reach of poor families, but every child deserves a strong start regardless of whether their parents can afford it or not.
“When I see children learning, laughing and dreaming big, I know we are building something much bigger than a classroom. We are building a future.”
The nursery school is friendly to children with special needs.
Special needs teacher George Bonomali believes every child should learn until their dreams come true.
He says: “After a term, children who looked shy and at risk of being left behind will be seen singing, drawing, telling stories and playing with their peers.
“It’s not just education we are giving them; it’s confidence, love and a sense of belonging, that’s what makes this job special,” he said.
For a Change Foundation has been running a junior primary school in Kwanjama Village for 10 years.
Village head Kwanjama says the learning facility has helped children to learn like their peers in cities and towns.
“We are building a prosperous community,” he says.
Over 200 children attend free nursery and junior primary school complete with nutritious meals.
Around noon, Teneti wait sby the gates for Hopeson to knock off.
“He is not just learning numbers and letters. He is learning to socialise, knowing that he matters and he can become anything he wants if he dares to dream big.”
