Education Sudan Project #10020

Kindergartens for Vulnerable Children in Darfur

by Kids for Kids

Project Report | May 28, 2014
First kindergarten already impacting the future

By Alastair King-Smith | Trustee

Children in Abu Nahla see their first books!

It is scientifically proven that mental and physical faculties develop fastest during a child's earliest years. Without proper attention, their educational development is stunted. “Children’s early childhood learning environments have large impacts on short and longer-term life outcomes” (Bassok D, Jan 2014). Children in the West have attended kindergartens since they were introduced in the 1800s. But not in Darfur where villages lack pre-school facilities – children there are missing out, trapped in extreme poverty.

Our first kindergarten has now been welcoming children for six months and the results are already impacting children's lives in Abu Nahla. Feedback shows that the whole community participated, especially women in the building of this project. They decided to increase attendance at the kindergarten by 50% to 151 children. So the pilot reached more needy families than anticipated and its value-for-money was dramatically enhanced. We will build on this experience for the construction of further kindergartens in other villages.

The process of constructing the kindergarten demonstrated the importance of the full commitment of the community and its ability to manage projects. “I am so proud of what the people of Abu Nahla are achieving. When we discussed the plans for the school, they decided they would make the bricks themselves to save us money. As our funds come from ordinary people in England and elsewhere, that means a lot.” Patricia Parker MBE, Founder of Kids for Kids.

The success of the project is already widely recognised. Kids for Kids have been asked to roll out the project across the other 65 villages already supported by Kids for Kids and to each of the 5 new villages who will receive our integrated package every year BUT, it will take time. Each kindergarten costs $33,600 (£20,000) and so we are now fundraising hard so that more children will be given the chance of education - a proven way out of poverty.

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Feb 25, 2014
Abu Nahla Kindergarten already changing lives

By Debbie Hoods | Project Assistant

The children get their first look at books!

The lack of kindergartens in Darfur means that children are deficient in essential stimulation in the most crucial formative years of their lives. Without schooling at an early age, opportunities are lost that can never be regained, and which diminish their developmental potential. Yet education is the only sure way out of poverty.

Our aim is to build three kindergartens in remote villages in North Darfur in 2014 because of the urgent need and because families simply cannot pay for education. The average household income has fallen to below £75 p.a. We are planning to fund five villages this year where we will provide all our grassroots projects in order to safeguard the health of the children. Yet education is essential.

In December 2013, our first kindergarten was completed in Abu Nahla, a small village of 2000 occupants. Already 151 village children have an opportunity to learn through educational play at our school as well as receiving formal education. The educational toys at the Kids for Kids Kindergarten are the first toys in the village and the latrines the first in the region. The State Director of Education has visited and approved our Kindergarten, "there is nothing else like this" were his humbling words.

To save construction costs on our first kindergarten, members of the self-formed parents committee built a kiln so that they could make their own bricks. They also took part in much of the construction, painting and organising themselves. Now that we have funded the project, the kindergarten has been handed over to them. Local ownership is vital for the longevity of the school, and indeed for all of our projects. We are planning to fund 3 more this year. Please help!

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Dec 2, 2013
The first Kids for Kids Kindergarten opens!

By Debbie Hoods | Assistant to CEO

The Kids for Kids Kindergarten uniform

Thank you for your interest in our Kindergarten project. I am delighted to confirm that our first school has now opened in Abu Nahla, a village that we adopted in 2010. Our kindergarten has been built with great care, all of the bricks were carefully made by the local people who are keen to ensure that their children grow up educated. 98% of women in Darfur are illiterate but they know that education is a way out of poverty which is why our project is so important to them.

In the past, the few schools available to villagers were built out of the stalks of the staple crop - millet. They had sand on the floor and only some had plastic chairs. There was no running water.

Our Kindergarten is brick built and is the only building in the village with latrines, to ensure that basic hygeine needs are met. The village is 40KM north of El Fasher and has 8 sub villages making up a population of 4,200 including children. We have been able to provide facilities for 100 children. Each child at the school has an excercise book, crayons, and educational toys such as puzzles and bricks. The Kindergarten also has an outdoor play area with many toys (which the children will not have seen before!) such as footballs, hula hoops, a swing, slide and roundabout. Each of the children has their own uniform to make them feel part of their school and to make them feel proud to learn. As you can imagine, this work is revolutionary in rural Darfur. The children now have a place to go and learn and a real chance to build a positive life. Because their mothers have our goats and are making a small income, they no longer have to be tied to the family chores. They are learning new things and enhancing their lives.

There are 65 Kids for Kids villages and with warnings of famine already being talked about, we intend to adopt 5 more in 2014. This means that ideally we want to build 69 kindergartens over the coming years. The cost of one is £19,480 so we have a long way to go. Thank you for your help so far.

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