96% of of the Roma, Ashkali & Egyptian communities in Kosovo do not complete compulsory education - a cause and an effect of poverty, exclusion, and poor health. Education is the only way to break the vicious cycle for families and communities, and after working for over 14 years to get Roma, Ashkali & Egyptian children to primary school, this project is a crucial step towards breaking the cycle of poverty and promoting equality and inclusivity through education.
The terrible rates of access to education and staying on in school among the Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian communities in Kosovo mean that the parents of today's children of pre-school age in Neighbourhoods 28 & 29 of Fushe Kosova and Janjeva are likely to be illiterate. They generally earn their money from working on the street or scavenging through collecting recycling materals, offering grim life chances and poor life choices to their children. No free state kindergarten education is available.
We know that the most effective learning is done at the youngest age. Our kindergarten will get children ready for success at school, and will mean children from illiterate and malnourished homes can still start education with confidence. We will work with Montessori methodology, that approach encourages children to make choices and take responsibility for their actions.This helps them develop a sense of independence and self-confidence, by allowing children to explore and discover at their own.
We will start with places for 90-100 children at the kindergarten from Janjeva and Fushe Kosova. We anticipate 100% registration rates in primary school and similarly high staying-on rates from this group, unlike the patchy registrations and high drop-out typical of the rest of the community. The power of kindergarten in providing strong foundations for later success means that a small intervention now will have a lifelong impact on these children.
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