Written by World Vision India; Edited by Kaija Hutteri and Katie Hackett
Early
education is an important stepping stone to help young boys and girls make a smooth transition to primary school. However, children in one of Narsinghpur’s villages didn’t have this opportunity.
A total of 168 families live in the village, with 54 children under the age of five. Parents weren’t sending their children to the local early childhood centre because the building needed repairs, and the environment wasn’t stimulating. The walls were bare, and the centre lacked toys and learning materials for the children.
The inadequate learning environment at the centre not only impacted the education of young children but their health as well. Many parents chose not to use the growth monitoring and health services offered by the centre. As a result, girls and boys weren’t receiving proper healthcare, even though it was available to them.
The support of Canadians who sponsor children in Narsinghpur made it possible to turn this situation around for the benefit of the entire village. We renovated the early childhood centre, painting it with bright, appealing colours inside and out. We also provided educational toys and learning materials to help young minds develop.
Brightly painted walls, toys and learning materials encourage young girls and boys to attend the early childhood centre in their village. Photo: World Vision
Girls and boys are now happy to visit the centre, and parents are more than willing to send them. The children have a clean, safe and engaging environment that will help them improve their social, cognitive and motor skills in preparation for primary school.
“Before, children did not come because they were not interested,” says Sharashwati, who works at the centre. “Now they are coming regularly and enjoying themselves because of the improvements.”
Families also visit the centre more often to access health services. More pregnant women receive prenatal care, which increases the likelihood of a safe delivery and healthy baby. With regular growth monitoring and health checks, illness and malnutrition are detected earlier in young children.
Thanks to our partnership with Canadian sponsors, future generations in Narsinghpur will grow up happier, healthier and equipped with the skills they need to succeed in school.