In the past decade, Early Childhood Development (ECD) has become mainstream in the overall education process of rural communities in Western Kenya, with 5 to 7 year olds securing places in ECD centres established by local communities at village level.

A great deal of importance is attached to this level of education because of its preparatory nature and benefits. Children receiving early childhood care develop intellectually, have enhanced self-esteem and are prepared for school.

Upendo Foundation International, through the three partner CBOs (Imani, Kirongo and Umoja) is actively engaged in promoting ECD through the provision of educational material, uniforms, volunteer teachers’ allowances and support in building classrooms and toilets.

ECD centres such as Rosemarie, Joann's, Kaundo, Umoja Junior, Jaribu Upendo, are within the Umoja Project area and boast a total of approximately 300 children benefiting from the facilities, courtesy of Amani UK, who are the sponsors of Upendo Foundation International.

New classrooms built for Rosemarie Nursery School.

The earliest and largest ECD centre is Kirongo Rainbow School, which has a primary section and is linked to Curzon Church of Englad Combined School in the UK. It has a total of 150 pupils, with a majority of orphans, total and partial. The school is under the Kirongo Project and has six volunteer teachers, taking care of baby class, nursery, pre-unit and class one. The Kirongo Project also oversees two further centres, Okwe and Moral, both run by widows groups and which number approximately 50 pupils each.

New classroom built for Okwe Nursery School. June 2008.

The latest of the ECDs is Mang’ang’a Youth Group Nursery School with a population of 52 pupils, including 30 orphans. Two volunteer teachers attend to the educational needs of the children and the School is under Imani Community Development Organization.

Several challenges are still ahead of these initiatives: facilitating training opportunities and reasonable allowances for the volunteer teachers; upgrading learning facilities such as classrooms to conform with required Ministry of Health standards; provision of additional opportunities for many more children, who can only look with longing at their contemporaries under our care, but resources are limited.

At Upendo Foundation International we believe that what our friends in the UK have continually done by supporting the development of early childhood education translates to direct promotion of a better tomorrow for Kenya, for which all concerned are truly indebted.

JCO Amuti
Programme Officer
Upendo Foundation International

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