Kyaka II refugee communities celebrate completion of the first four Early Childhood Development Centres.

3/2/2021

Children celebrating outside a new ECD centre in Kyaka II

In July 2020 we broke ground on the start of our sustainable construction project in Kyaka II. Partnering with Haileybury Youth Trust (HYT), over two years we will be working alongside local communities to rebuild and refurbish 14 Early Childhood Development (ECD) centres that we support across the 30 zones of the camp.

We are delighted that just six months later the first four ECD centres have already been completed. On the 29th January, COTE Africa and HYT held formal handing over ceremonies for all four of the newly completed centres. It was a fantastic occasion with everyone involved coming together to celebrate.

Winnie, Henry, Solomon and Philip from the COTE Africa Team, together with Amumpaire Grace (the District Education Officer) and Mauricia Nambatya, (the HYT Country Manager), attended to cut the ribbons and officially hand the centres over to the communities.

Children and parents were able to see the completed buildings and the new bright, colourful learning resources, which have been handmade by 34 of the teachers, as part of their current training in association with Makerere University.

There are now piles of sustainable, bespoke resources ready for the children when the schools are allowed to reopen.

During the ceremonies there were also presentations for the 12 apprentice builders who have been training with HYT for the last six months. HYT trains young refugees in their innovative construction methods, equipping them with skills to help improve their future livelihoods.

Meet Akanyesiga Dauphine
Akanyesiga Dauphine is one of the trainee builders in Kyaka II who has helped to construct the new Early Childhood Development Centres and recieved her building certificate during the ceremony.
Click the picture to watch a short message from Akanyesiga Dauphine, about how training is helping her to build a brighter future.

Akanyesiga Dauphine with her building certificate

The ECD Centres will continue to be managed and run by the communities and their Centre Management Committees.

Kahindo, is a member of the Centre Management Committee in Itambiniga. She was instrumental in mobilising her community to try and improve the classrooms before the new block was built. Now that the new classrooms are ready, she is optimistic that the enrolment and performance of the school will improve when schools are able to reopen.

HYT has already begun to recruit more apprentice builders and work on the next batch of six twin-classroom blocks is scheduled to begin this month.

“With these two classrooms, we are now sure that the school will serve the community for a long period of time. The children are excited about being elevated from dilapidated classrooms to well-built ones. We are all excited and the Centre Management Committee plans to meet next to decide on which students will be attending the new classrooms.”

Kahindo,
Parent and Centre Management Committee Member in Itambiniga

Handmade learning resources in the classroom

Children looking into the new classrooms

Watch this video to see the huge transformation that has taken place in Kyaka II in 2020.

Find out about our two year project with HYT, working together to create sustainable and climate-friendly early years education in Kyaka II.

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