This project will support early childhood development (ECD) for 2,000 children delivered through IREAD's 10 Uganda ECD Centres. Donations will help to train teachers, provide school uniforms, and maintain the Centres.
IREAD's village-led Centre Management Committees (CMCs), which are responsible for operating and maintaining their IREAD ECD Centres, are struggling. CMCs charge school fees (from $8 to $11 per term) but commonly waive fees. Almost 97% of parents are subsistence farmers and their income is heavily impacted by drought, heavy rains, low market prices, and so on. If school fees are not paid CMCs cannot pay teachers, maintain the Centres, provide lunch, or subsidize uniforms.
This project will help our CMCs deliver quality ECD even when parents cannot pay school fees. Teachers will be sure to receive quality training. Every child will feel a sense of belonging thanks to having a school uniform and will receive a nutritious meal each day. The buildings IREAD has built and the furniture and fixtures we have provided will be well maintained and provide the best possible platform for children's learning and socialization.
The project will help the CMCs in each of the 10 villages with IREAD-built ECD Centres to deliver ECD to 200 children. Benefits of ECD include higher intelligence scores; higher and timelier school enrollment in subsequent grades; less grade repetition, lower dropout rates; and higher school completion rates. Children also have improved nutrition and health status, and improved social and emotional behaviour. Long-term impacts include increased earning potential and economic self-sufficiency.
This project has provided additional documentation in a PDF file (projdoc.pdf).
