- Gave an academic head-start to hundreds of pre-school children
- Greatly reduced their malnutrition
Many women attending Aspire had no option but to bring their babies and pre-school children with them. This meant that not only were the women distracted from their learning, but that very often an older sibling (usually a girl) was missing out on school because of minding younger family members. We decided to provide free pre-school childcare, and it was much more successful than we had anticipated. The children were divided into three separate age groups, and by the time they left, they had a significant head start when they began school. We also gave the children two nutritious meals a day, and we saw a significant reduction in their mal-nourishment. The mothers learnt about child education and development and the children learnt valuable social skills. It was a joyful and immensely rewarding part of the programme.