Early Childhood Development for Marginalised Children

Children on the Edge has been investing in Early Childhood Development for marginalised children in different areas of the world since 2000.

Currently we support programmes for under fives in 30 communities in the Kyaka II refugee camp in Uganda, two slum communities in Jinja, Uganda and 15 displaced communities in the remote mountain areas of Kachin State, Myanma r.

WHAT IS EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT (ECD)?

Early Childhood Development (ECD) supports children’s development in the early years of life, from conception to around the age of five. It includes services and programmes to support nurturing care, including protection, nutrition, health, learning and play.

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WHAT DOES THIS LOOK LIKE IN OUR WORK?

Children on the Edge supports programmes for under fives in Uganda and Myanmar. We currently offer early years education to around 9,000 children either through one of our 47 Early Childhood Development (ECD) centres, or in safe spaces created within communities.

With our years of experience, together with our local partners, we have developed a number of successful approaches to best practice in ECD which we have both replicated and adapted in different settings.

Our approach makes a real difference in children’s cognitive development and later success in school. It focuses on creating a protective environment for children at the most vital time in their development, ensuring they have the best possible start in life and are enabled to thrive.

We also invest in supporting caregivers with their parenting through workshops and social work, as well as providing vocational training and business skills. These elements work together to ensure that children are safe, protected and nurtured.

Boy from Kachin State, Myanmar (about five years old) is lying on his front doing some colouring. Some of his classmates are doing the same behind him. He is wearing a bright jumper and red wooly hat as they are outside on some decking. He is slightly smiling as he works.

Watch how our Award Winning Early Years Education programme in Kyaka II refugee settlement, Uganda is reaching thousands of refugee children.

KYAKA REFUGEE CAMP, UGANGA

In the Kyaka II refugee camp in Uganda, 30 refugee communities, mostly from the Democratic Republic of Congo, are being supported to deliver high quality, cost effective ECD provision. We are working alongside these communities to rebuild or renovate existing ECD Centres, train local refugees as teachers and help them develop sustainable incomes. We are resourcing these communities to own and manage ECD provision for their own children, both now and into the future.

As the 30 buildings cannot come close to meeting the identified need for early learning in these communities, a new pilot project has also begun, offering ‘cluster group’ learning - outside under trees, in people’s homes and in communal spaces, to enable thousands more children to access education and play within the camp and to train and inspire parents to nurture and teach their children each day at home.

Whether inside colourful centres or outdoors, each learning space is a safe environment, with a quality bespoke curriculum in their own language, colourful learning resources and trained, trusted teachers from both the refugee and local communities.

Group of young Congolese children sat on a mat outside a hut learning from a teacher stood up in front of them about counting with brightly coloured plastic stackable cups. they are looking up at him and one of the girls is saying something and smiling. There are green trees behind them. You can click this image to be taken to a page to find out more.

SLUM COMMUNITIES IN JINJA, UGANGA

In Jinja, Uganda, two ECD Centres in two slum communities - Loco and Wandago - ensure the most vulnerable children are able to access education. Young children aged 3-6 benefit from a high quality curriculum developed within the Ugandan ECD framework which enables children to learn and develop through songs, dances, crafts and games.

They learn in their own language and are helped to deal with routines, learn about health and hygiene, build friendships and improve their behaviour so they can transition well to primary school. Regular health checks pick up on any concerns, and nutritious snacks and porridge are provided to help combat malnutrition.

To support the children outside the classroom and build a protective environment for them in their wider community, we support Child Protection Teams in Loco and Wandago. These teams of volunteers host parenting workshops, check in on families, and identify children and families in need of support. They encourage local families on the importance of education through a number of events, meetings and celebrations, provide small business loans and support parents throughout the term, ensuring high retention rates at the ECD Centres.

Group of Ugandan children are laughing under a brightly coloured parachute as they enjoy a game. They are wearing lilac and white uniforms. You can click this image to be taken to a page to find out more.

KACHIN STATE, MYANMAR

In Kachin State, where thousands of displaced Kachin people live in remote mountain camps, we work with 15 communities to provide Early Childhood Development to over 500 children through 15 ECD Centres.

The Centres are safe, colourful spaces which also provide a robust Early Childhood Development curriculum for children aged 3-6 years old. Teachers are trained from within the camps, delivering exceptionally high quality learning environments, despite being cut off from resources.

The Centres are also supported by parents through local committees in each camp, who maintain the buildings, create play materials, provide nutrition and learn about parenting and child protection.

WHY IS ECD SO IMPORTANT FOR CHILDREN?

“IF WE CHANGE THE BEGINNING OF THE STORY, WE CHANGE THE WHOLE STORY”.
Christakis, 2011

In the earliest years of life, children need nutrition, protection and stimulation for healthy brain development. With 1,000,000 neurons firing per second in the brain of a small child as they investigate, chatter and play; early childhood is a crucial time for developing neural connections and establishing foundations for life.

Once we grow into adults, the brain begins to prune unused neural connections, while strengthening those used more often. Tiny children who do not get to play, be talked to and engaged with, actually develop smaller brains and fewer neural connections, so their future learning and the strengthening of those connections is jeopardized. In fact, a lack of cognitive stimulation can stunt physical growth more than a lack of food.

Early love, affection and affirmation from parents and family shows children how to trust and to interact with those around them. To put it simply, babies and young children need food, play and love.

By the time a child reaches five years old, 90% of their brain has developed; meaning their experiences from birth to this age are the most important of their lives. Children who benefit from ECD perform better at every subsequent level of education and are twice as likely to be on track in early literacy and numeracy skills than children missing out on ECD.

Parents are the centre of creating a protective environment for children. As primary caregivers; they provide food, care, interaction, play and love to help children develop. It is important to invest in supporting parents and caregivers, as well as other services.

Group of Conglese children sit outdoors on ao mat with a male teacher having an early learning lesson. A Mother is sat with a smaller baby on a chair next to them, and a few Children on the Edge Africa staff are in the background, In the foreground is a bush of pink flowers and behind them are trees.

Four year old Ugandan boy Elijah is practicing his writing. Some words read 'Meet Elijah'.

Elijah is four years old and attends our ECD Centre in Loco, Uganda. When he joined, he was mischievous at home and needed close supervision. He often snatched snacks from other children, would disappear outside the class and didn’t seem to trust anyone apart from his parents. Having never been in school before, he couldn't do simple things like responding to the bell or waiting his turn during play. He didn’t have good eating habits and wouldn’t consider sharing with others.

Elijah’s teachers and parents worked together to encourage positive discipline both at home and at school.

Over several months, Elijah developed into a responsible, loving and caring boy at school, who always does his work and now has a love for both classroom and extracurricular activities. He began to show interest in reading, started writing independently and stopped fidgeting during lessons.

WHY IS ECD ESPECIALLY VITAL
FOR CHILDREN IN CRISIS SITUATIONS?

“THE YOUNGEST REFUGEE CHILDREN REQUIRE SPECIAL ATTENTION, BUT THEY ARE COMMONLY FORGOTTEN. THEY ARE INVISIBLE TO THOSE RESPONSIBLE FOR PROTECTING THEM”

UNICEF

Globally, over one-sixth of forcibly displaced people are children under age 5, for whom the lack of adequate early interventions and protective relationships can lead to long-term mental health, physical, social and economic problems.

Throughout emergencies and humanitarian crises, children are more likely to suffer stress, a weakened protective environment, a lack of stimulation and learning opportunities, along with reduced health services and nutrition. All this at a time when they are at the most dependent on the protective environment around them and their brains are at their most sensitive to external inputs. As their environments are thrown out of balance, without basic layers of protection they are likely to suffer toxic stress which can damage their brain irreversibly.

Responsive care at this age protects and buffers children from the negative effects of what they have been through. A protective, nurturing environment can turn the situation around, helping children bounce back and develop resilience.

Parents and caring, familiar adults are central to the creation of this environment and can help children cope with their stress, to the point where either no damage is done to the brain, or current damage can be limited.

Whilst we might automatically think that children in these situations need professional psychiatric services, research shows that the need for these tends to be as low as 1-2%. In the majority of cases the most effective response is to create a safe, colourful environment, with trusted adults and plenty of opportunities to express themselves, learn and play with friends. The reestablishment of a sense of normalcy and routine is often exactly what they need to begin to thrive.

A young boy from Kachin State Burma is stood behind a solider with a gun. He has a baseball cap and a red jumper on. He is looking directly at the camera and has his hand over one ear.

Four year old Congolese girl with purple dreadlocks is standing in front of a board in her classroom with pictures of animals on it, with their names. Some text superimposed on the image reads 'Meet Jemima'

Jemima is four years old and attends one of the ECD Centres we support in Kyaka II refugee camp, Uganda. When she started, she attended regularly with her little brother and was learning well. Tragically her little brother died. Jemima began to struggle to concentrate, and her learning and attendance deteriorated. The teaching team intervened as they were worried her parents would stop sending her to school altogether. Visits were made to Jemima’s family where they comforted them and gently persuaded them to bring Jemima back to school.

Jemima returned to school and the teachers gave her extra time and attention to help her catch up, and to invest in her wellbeing and recovery. She began to regain her confidence and skill in classroom and outdoor activities. The head caregiver attributed this turnaround to the expertise of Jemima’s teachers and the training they had received from Children on the Edge Africa.

WHY IS ECD A GREAT INVESTMENT FOR EVERYONE?

“THE EARLY MOMENTS OF LIFE OFFER AN UNPARALLELED OPPORTUNITY TO BUILD THE BRAINS OF THE CHILDREN WHO WILL BUILD THE FUTURE… FOR CHILDREN FROM DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES, THE PRICE OF THIS FAILURE IS LOST POTENTIAL”.

UNICEF - Early Moments Matter

With humanitarian crises continuing to increase and become more protracted, it is estimated that 250 million children under the age of 5 in low and middle income countries are currently at risk of not reaching their developmental potential (Chan, Lake and Hanse, 2016).

ECD investments have been proven to be not only effective, but cost-effective, however these services are constantly underfunded. Whilst ECD has been shown to have the biggest return on investment (up to 4 or 5 times the amount), humanitarian response tends to focus on the individual sectors of primary and secondary education, health, nutrition, child protection etc.

Investing in ECD, which spans all of these areas, gives the opportunity to create an environment where children can thrive at their most crucial time of development and change the course of their futures

A lack of intervention for children at this young age is likely to result in negative consequences for the global community. There is evidence that children in crisis situations go on to face psychological distress, low performance in school, and issues with social and cultural integration, all of which can be prevented with the creation of a nurturing environment in the crucial stages of their development.

Early learning about peacebuilding, looking after the environment, gender equality, regulating emotions and handling conflict has a huge impact on what kind of people these children become. In this interconnected world, these children are the future leaders, workers and peacebuilders of our societies.

Young children in Uganda are in an Early Childhood Development Centre. They are listening to a lesson and facing a teacher who is off camera. Some are smiling and some have their hands up. They are wearing lilac and white uniforms.

Superimposed words on this image read 'Meet Maran Sut Awng' and image shows a four year old boy from Kachin State Myanmar with a dark red jumper, stood in front of a mural and looking directly at the camera.

Maran Sut Awng is five years old and lives with his aunt and uncle after losing his parents in tragic circumstances when he was four. He witnessed the death of his mother at his father’s hands, who was a soldier with a severe drinking problem. His father then drowned in a nearby stream while fleeing the authorities.

Maran Sut Awng came to one of our Early Childhood Development Centres in Kachin State, Myanmar but would play alone and wouldn’t talk with the other children.

The teachers always gave him special care and attention and it soon became apparent he was a very intelligent boy. He remembered everything that they taught him. Maran Sut Awng started getting better at making friends and interacting. He says "I would like to become a pilot or a general when I grow up. I am happy when I come to school. I am not happy when I stay at home”.

The teachers visit him at home regularly to check in on his wellbeing.