Sign up for e-updates
Time to learn, time to earn
When Jesca’s parents divorced and her mother left their village to find work in a larger town, her childhood could have been torn apart. Jesca was just a toddler when her parents disappeared from her life, but thanks to her Grandmother, Oniss, she is a happy healthy little girl growing up surrounded by the love and care of her relatives.
Losing parental care can have a devastating effect on a child’s future. When simply surviving is a struggle, the hope of gaining an education, the foundation of a positive future, is lost forever. EveryChild believes that every child has the right to go to school. We are making sure children like Jesca have the support they need to get the education, and the childhood, they deserve.
Jesca may only be three but already she is developing skills that will make starting school much easier. Every day she enjoys spending time with other children in her community at her local children’s day centre, supported by EveryChild. The centre has been especially created for pre-school children and provides a safe place to play and learn.
For Oniss, the centre is vital. She also cares for her other daughter, Agnes, and her two young children. While Jesca and her cousins sing songs, play games and enjoy a hearty meal, Oniss and Agnes can work and earn some extra money to support the family.
Trained volunteers, four local mothers who feel passionately about helping their community, run the centre. They use play and songs to teach 67 children basic skills, such as the alphabet, before they start school. One of the volunteers, Mary, says, ‘I’m teaching these children so that when they go to primary school they are prepared. I also teach them to be friends with one another and to take care of each other. I volunteer because I have love for the children.’
Many children who go to the centre are living without parental care. Often they are cared for by relatives when parents move away to find work or sadly die. In poor communities where resources are already stretched to the limit, relatives, particularly elderly grandparents, can find it hard to take on the responsibility of extra children.
Centres like the one Jesca goes to are just one way EveryChild help vulnerable families and protect children in danger of ending up on their own. By giving caregivers time to work they can earn money and boost their family income. By introducing children to learning skills we prepare them for getting the education they need to look forward to a brighter future.
Oniss adds, The centre is good for all of my grandchildren. Early child development is good. The fact the children are fed there also brings some relief.
"My hope is that they go ahead with their education so that they are self-reliant. I also hope they will then be able to help me as I get older."
Follow us