Programs

Early childhood education is the key to the overall development of children worldwide.  Not only does early childhood education empower children in their communities but serves as a springboard for sustainable development. Inaccessibility to schools and healthcare coupled with poverty-stricken communities can negatively impact the life of children, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa.

No child should live without access to the fundamental rights of education and good health. The Stay-In-School International initiative is dedicated to opening the doors of education to each child by providing access to schools and good health practices, while providing the tools necessary to support them. Although this initiative is inspired by real life experiences in the Gambia, there is the possibility of worst-case-scenarios existing in the African continent and other parts of the world.

There are many instances that children and young people go through the normal cycle of education without any formal skills. Stay-In-School International will ensure that skills training in schools are strengthened through educational materials. This will ensure that children and young people can graduate with the skills necessary to engage in community development which will in turn have an extraordinary impact on not only their livelihoods but on future generations to come.

Mission

Our mission is to make early childhood education accessible, affordable and meaningful for children in rural sub-Saharan Africa.

Vision

 

Stay-In-School International envisions a world where every child, regardless of socio-economic circumstances, have access to a high-quality early childhood education. 

Core Values

  1. Accountability
  2. Dedication
  3. Empathy
  4. Maintaining our vision for children
  5. Respect and Promotion of human rights
  6. Sustainability

Intervention Areas

 

The intervention areas for Stay-In-School International will – for the beginning – focus on three strategic areas. These areas will be based on research/study in the form of specific needs assessment for every Stay-In-School International village/community. Every strategic intervention will be monitored, and their outcomes will be closely studied. However, once the project starts, yearly evaluations will be conducted in partnership with the education departments and a long-term impact assessment will be conducted before initiating the project in other countries.

1.      Early Childhood Development (ECD)

 

Conventional approach in the Gambia is purely on Early Childhood Development only in urban areas. However, Stay-In-School Internationals’ approach is to mainstream Care and Support into early childhood development as an important foundation for the holistic development of children. The Care element of the program is to help children with requisite materials support such as books, bags, shoes and other relevant educational materials to facilitate effective education both within the school environment and from home.

Couple with a high standard education and training from an early stage, the program is expected to prepare children from the very beginning of life and stir their thirst for education. The Gambia is one of the poorest countries in Africa both in terms of the economy and infrastructure. With the potential to grow and with a cultural diversity that serves both as an enabler and an impediment for development; the Care component will also engage families to protect children from all forms of harmful traditional practices through period Community to School dialogue.

The Gambia Basic Education Policy advocates for early childhood development, however there is a lack of basic infrastructure to support communities with the means to take their children to school. Where early childhood development schools exist, there is always huge resource gap. Both financial and materials resources are lacking, and the school environments are not so child-friendly to motivate children.

 

There are economic factors that also impede early childhood development in the Gambia. Unlike the United States this level of education comes with it cost, ranging from fees, uniforms, bags, books and other writing materials for the children as well as basic needs such as shoes etc. This reflects the poverty situation in most communities. Stay-In-School International will promote education sponsorship, twining of Gambian/African Schools with those in the United States in order to create experience sharing, school material support and training.

 

There are many villages without school infrastructure to educate children and children on many occasions could be seem roaming the villages without going to school. This affects their potential for growth and development. Because of the lack of these basic opportunities, girls become potential victims of early and forced marriage.

2.      Support to the education of children with developmental disability

 

There is high discrimination towards children born with development disabilities in the Gambia. Families continue to keep children with developmental disabilities at home without enrolling them in school for education and care. Many have attributed myths to children born with such disabilities relating them to evil spirits. Thus, they are kept at home without association with other children.  Although the Education Policy of The Gambia has factored in special education in its objectives and has considered a holistic approach to it; however, there is no intervention available in rural communities to take care of these children, thus:

Special needs education is not only an issue for schools and teachers who look after children with disabilities, but also a whole system approach that touches the whole nation in its drive to include all inhabitants in every aspect of responsible civic life. It therefore calls for a radical and holistic change of attitudes and misconceptions about persons with disabilities to ensure that they too have access to quality education. In this regard, the adoption of complementary and mutually supportive approaches that are based on the principles of inclusiveness, integration and participation of children with special needs will be encouraged and school-friendly environments will be promoted. Education Policy 2004 – 2015 (p.21)

 

Stay-In-School International wishes to engage communities through community sensitization for the promotion of education for children with developmental disability. It seeks to also make available basic facilities and expertise to train special needs children and to create the enabling environment to the realization of their full potentials.

 

Like many third world countries, there are special needs schools in the Gambia but most of these facilities are in the urban centers. The rural communities are still under-served, thus the need for the provision schools providing education to these children as a basic human right.

 

Stay-In-School International will organize home visits to families with developmental disabilities to ensure that care and support continues to be provided both from the Schools and Home.

 

The Ministry of Basic Education through its donor partners on the Education Medium Term Plan made this observation on Early Childhood Development:

Noting the concentration of ECD centers in urban areas, partners encouraged the DoSBSE to formulate strategies to reach out to children in rural communities who are disadvantaged. Other observations for ECD included the provision of facilitators and the provision of instructional materials. They also observed that the MTP should also address the constraint that inadequate physical infrastructure poses for learning. The Gambia Education Sector Medium Term Plan 2008 – 2011 (p.2)

 

This justifies the need for the strengthening of early childhood education in rural Gambia and the provision of basic services and infrastructure. There are villages/towns with other education facilities like secondary education. Therefore, it will be important to also attach to these existing facilities early childhood care and development centers. This will be an easy way for children to transcend into higher education levels with the acquisition of basic education.

  1. Building of Early Childhood Development Centers

Where the resources are available, supported by a political will, Stay In School International will solicit resources for the development of Early Childhood Educational facilities in rural, deprived communities where access to such facilities are not available.

These centers will be established reflecting community needs and their wishes. These centers will have amenities such as playgrounds for children, after school activities, internet facilities, an arts/talent development facility including sports.

This is expected to help support the wholistic development of children from an early stage and help them grow within their own environments having access to all the basic tools to self-actualize

These centers will also include in them a mini clinic for children to help take care of minor conditions for children i.e. first aid and minor ailments. Key among this is to have an ambulance for all Stay in School facilities for referrals. This initiative will be implemented in partnership with the Ministry of Health through a memorandum of understanding and the provision of a juvenile health care provider for each center.