Muraho Bite (Hello) from Rwanda!

Hello and welcome to the first entry of Impact the Child in 2025!

If you do follow my journey linked to early childhood education and development (ECED) in Sub Saharan Africa, here are three things that I have been up to.

1. Continuing monthly accountability sessions with leaders. I provide female leaders in ECED with quality-informed guidance, improving practice and finding sustainable solutions for professional development. In 2024, this was impactful leading to growth on a number of levels. It is always encouraging to see leaders expand their knowledge, confidence and practice and then pass it on to other leaders and educators in their community. The end result?? Teaching and learning in the classroom for over 3,000 children became a reality. It is an ongoing collaborative project.
2. Sharing resources. I created a new newsletter for educators serving children in Sub Saharan Africa. One of my surveys showed that educators in the region need high-quality training with some form of certification. I curate relevant resources in the form of online training, e-books, videos and other easy-to-access resources. If you have anything in this category to share please send it my way! Information must be relevant to early childhood education and development only.?
3. Researching. For any lasting change, we know that sustainable measures are essential. I have conducted research on the best way(s) to support leaders and educators while maintaining professional integrity and allowing for financial independence. This has been interesting and yielded results. Again, it is a work in progress. If anyone out there is reading this and has other models and systems for building financial independence in preschools (in the so-called 'global south'), do contact me. In the spirit of Ubuntu, I’d love to collaborate.

Rwanda!

I visited Rwanda for the first time last year! It was such a good visit and I met with professionals in early childhood education. Here’s one account.

Visit to Precious Stones Foundation Early Learning Centre

One of the good things about the people I met in Rwanda was their willingness to help. I had emailed a few nurseries prior to arrival but did not receive a response. And so I started to search on Google and also asked people that I met whether they could put me in touch with nursery owners. I did have a few rejections!

However, when I called Precious Stones Early Learning Centre, Ms Ida Kitaka welcomed my visit (hurray!).?

I made my way to the ELC using a local taxi (somewhat tricky to pay as there was a language barrier, but I was helped by the centre’s administrator) and found myself in the district of Kicukiro, in Kigali (the capital of Rwanda).?

I often say there is power in story.

I spent time (well over an hour!) listening to Ms Ida’s origin story. She was compelled to set up a nursery school to serve young learners as a part of rebuilding the community. Ida started small.

There was a demand for early childhood education and even though she did not have adequate funding she ably continued and eventually was able to build a school. I visited both the nursery and the primary school. It was clean and organised and the staff were both conscientious and dedicated to quality.?

The reality on the ground is always different from perceptions in one’s mind. I learned that educators have multiple needs and that it is not only about training teachers or mentoring leaders from a distance.

Funding is required. For example, the centre needs to build extra classrooms. School fees alone will not cover this. And yet as mentioned above sustainable financial solutions are required. External aid is not always the best solution as has been seen recently.?

It was nice to see that children receive fresh meals prepared on site, daily. This is a picture (below) of a local outdoor cooker. Simple, affordable, effective and durable.

I listened in on a French lesson, as the children are taught in their native language (Kinyarwanda) as well as Swahili, French and English. Not a small feat! I asked about daily routines and noted that the curriculum was necessarily linked to the Rwandan curriculum with additional access to an international curriculum.?

Overall, it was a pleasant experience. I have stayed in touch with Ida. She exemplifies resilience and time-invested determination to succeed in serving children and families. I wish her every success.

Resource - Autism Training

Action research has shown that there is a compelling need to support children with special educational needs in Sub Saharan Africa. For any educators, expertise in this area is a requirement. I received recommended training in my inbox this morning and the details are below. I have not participated in the training.?

Remember! - free does not mean there is no value. It is also a matter of starting and completing courses and then using knowledge gained to make a difference. It is a process.?

Link to free online professional learning - https://autisminternetmodules.org

Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have unique strengths and challenges. Understanding the underlying characteristics of ASD and effective practices that support their needs is essential.

Designed for those who support, instruct, work with, or live with someone with autism, the Autism Internet Modules (AIM) guide users through case studies, instructional videos, pre- and post-assessments, discussion questions, activities, and more.

Invitation

My invitation still stands. If you’d like me to interview you and learn more about your nursery in Sub Saharan Africa, simply reach out - [email protected]?

I’m keen to hear from nurseries in Kenya, South Africa and Senegal. However, anywhere else will be great!

In service of young learners, we continue to impact the child.

Patricia Mezu M.A.Ed., L.L.M., AMI Montessori Dipl.

https://www.prminds.org/impactthechild