Faryal (bottom right) enjoys attending the Save the Children Australia ECCE Centre. Photo: Save the Children
“I wanted to attend school and learn games but the school was far from my home,” said Faryal, four years old, from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, Pakistan.
With limited income, Faryal’s family could not afford to send their daughter to pre-primary school.
It is reported that 7.3 million children in Pakistan do not attend school. Almost 50% of children aged 7 to 16 from the poorest households are out of school, compared with just 5% from the richest households.
Save the Children has established an Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) centre in a home in Faryal’s village as part of the Early Childhood Care and Education program. This means Faryal and children her age now have a place to learn which is close to home.
“Now I am attending the ECCE home, I learn poems, games and I can do drawing and painting. I like it very much. I want to complete my education and wish to become a teacher like Miss Arifa (the community educator),” said Faryal.
Faryal (bottom right) plays a game with other children at Save the Children Australia’s ECCE Centre. Photo: Save the Children
The centre provides essential learning support to children and also assists families and communities by promoting the importance of education. ECCE involves child health, nutrition and care, and fostering positive early learning opportunities for children in their preparation years leading to the transition into primary school.
Save the Children’s Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) program in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, Pakistan is supported by AusAID. The program is also training teachers, working with the district education office to build their capacity, undertaking community outreach to improve the access and support for education, and advocating for wider adoption of ECCE.
