Overview:
Buhweju district is one of the districts in south western Uganda, with highest levels of illiteracy. Geographically, Buhweju is a hilly place with intertruding valleys and hills. In addition, the distance from the peoples homesteads to schools is long and more so, schools are few, and that makes it hard for the children below 7 years to access early child learning.
Its against this background, that Khidnet partnered with the district Local leaders and area local leaders and parents and others stakeholders to support early learning. So far the organization runs two community learning centres in Bihanga Subcounty, Buhweju district.
The ECD Project:
This project is a community based, and located within the proximity and short distance of the homesteads. The project aims at reaching and supporting young children and preparing them for primary formal education.
These centres are safe, easy to supervise and they provide play, educational, counseling, training and mentoring activities for pre-school going children.
Community Based ECD sessions target 2.5 to 6 year old pre-school children to prepare them join primary school; Parenting skills sessions for all parents including guardians, male and female, literate and illiterate to equip them to actively participate in their children’s education and development; Livelihood-based literacies sessions for those who want to learn how to read, write and better their livelihoods.
Community Based ECDs are managed by Learning Centre Management Committees comprising of at least 4 volunteer members, to ensure community management, ownership and sustainability. The roles and responsibilities of the Learning Centre Management Committees include: Continuous mobilization of the community to contribute towards the ECD set up and maintenance; routine visits to oversee the ECD activities; overseeing the children’s safety and welfare, holding regular meetings for planning/budgeting, management and maintenance.
So far, 120 pre school learners have been supported since the project started in 2021, and its planning in the year 2023, more two centres be opened in Isingiro district among other plans.