Community leaders in northern Eswatini identified dependency as an underlying factor limiting sustainable development at community level. To address this in relevant ways, they formed Vusumnotfo. Giving things can further dependency. Instead we teach simple, effective, self-reliant and ecological practices. This strengthens skills at family and community level to tackle four inter-related problems limiting child development and learning in 17 rural communities. Made possible by your support.
Young children depend on adults for the care and stimulation needed to develop the physical, emotional, language, communication, cognitive, social and value structures that lay the foundation for their life. If adults do not have the knowledge and skills to fully do so, a child's development can fall behind. As this child grows into an adult, they may struggle to meet their own needs and to nurture the needs of the children under their care, setting up a negative cycle of dependency.
To address 1) insufficient understanding of inclusive early childhood development and learning, 2) limited financial management practices, 3) poor nutrition practices, and 4) inadequate infrastructure and management practices - we 1) train parents and preschool teachers, 2) form and train savings & lending groups, 3) train in perma-gardening for nutrition, and 4) provide structured technical, material and mentoring support to community preschools and water, sanitation and hygiene systems.
Based on research reflected in traditional wisdom, children who achieve early developmental milestones and learning standards for physical, emotional, language, communication, cognitive, social and value domains have the foundation to attain the skills to meet their own needs as adults. This builds their capacity to nurture the next generation at family level, and to improve environmental, social and economic conditions at community level, setting up a positive cycle of sustainable development.
This project has provided additional documentation in a PDF file (projdoc.pdf).
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