Early Childhood Development

Trinity, aged three, goes to a ChildFund-supported Early Childhood Development Centre in Busia district. She is among the 112 children learning at the centre supported by ChildFund through our local partner, the Busia Area Communities Federation.

This ECD Centre is one of the few affordable early learning options in the district. Across Uganda, ECD services are still largely run by private providers, locking out thousands of young children whose families cannot meet the high fees.In many rural communities, early learning remains a luxury. Yet these first years are the most critical for brain development. 

When the centre opened in 2008, the idea of taking a toddler to school was unusual in the area. Many believed learning only began in Primary One, Geoffrey Kainja, Acting Program Manager at BUACOFE, observes.

“People didn’t value early education. So we had to sit with the parents, talk to them, show them why these early years matter. When they understood, they gave us the land.”

ChildFund constructed classrooms, added outdoor play equipment, furnished the rooms and drilled a water source for the children. A two-stance latrine was also built. Teachers were recruited from within the community, with support from the District Education Office.

To keep operations going, parents, many of them small-scale farmers, contribute 6 kilograms of maize each term, ensuring the children have a cup of porridge every morning. They also contribute an allowance of sh20,000 teachers (USD 5.6) are given sh100,000 (USD 28) then BUACOFE makes a contribution of sh50,000 (USD 14) per teacher.

At 8:00 a.m., Proscovia, the head caregiver, welcomes the first arrivals. She has been here since the centre’s earliest days and knows nearly every child who has passed through the gate.

“Our day starts with circle time, stretching, singing, and reading the morning “news” shared by the children themselves. Then come literacy lessons, outdoor play, porridge break and numeracy. By 12:30, the school day wraps up,” Proscovia says.

The porridge she adds is a big boost for the children seeing as some do not take tea at home. “You should see how their faces change after drinking this. They feel so good. They concentrate and they even play better.”

Her affection for the children is unmistakable. “I enjoy being with them. When they are struggling or sad, I see it. They talk to me freely. That trust is important.”

Trinity’s school is one of 15 ChildFund-supported ECD centres in Busia. Over 95% of children who attend these centres transition smoothly to primary school, a great milestone in a district where many children once stayed home or spent their days collecting scrap.

Geoffrey explains that “If ChildFund had not brought this program, we would still have children wandering around, not going to school,” he says. “This centre is a blessing.”