The current project is to build a new preschool in the small community Gowoka, near the Mzuzu in Malawi. Preschools (or Community Based Childcare Centres) are essential for local communities, not only for the children in the ages 3-5 who make use of it, but for the community as a whole as well.

Together we have defined a goal of € 30.000 to build a school equipped to raise and care for around 50 kids. Complete of four classrooms, a kitchen, a computer lab, a library, and space for parenting education, the CBCC is destined to become more than just a school, but a true centre for the life of the community. 

Through Chideso we connected to local contractors to define the cost and timeframe for building the school and singled out the land to build it. As our vision is to empower the community to grow, our goal is to fund buildings and not the running costs of a school.

In Gowoka there are 33 kids registered already (of the total 154 kids under 5 years old in the community) who currently do not have a school. They currently do what they can by gathering outside and using a neighbor's veranda as a ‘classroom’. This is not a sustainable situation at all. Building a new preschool would be needed for a normal development of the children in this community and providing them the opportunity of a better future.

The preschool buildings serve also different purposes. It supports the community, not only by serving as a preschool, but also as a safe place for village meetings, development activities, village gatherings, education also for the elderly, and a place from where a variety of governmental and charitable activities are initiated.

Preschools are extremely important for the development of kids in the area. As most 3-5 year-old in rural areas do not have access to early learning opportunities, they are ill-prepared when they start school. Later in life, this leads to high drop-out rates in primary and low enrolment rates in secondary school, translating to lower overall welfare in the community. With building preschools with the right basic facilities we want to change this.

Chideso is a development support organisation and focuses on children’s rights and development by running a variety of support projects. Their involvement with the early development of children, training vocational skills to adults, skills development and HIV/AIDS education and prevention are an essential need in this community with many challenges such as income generating challenges, extreme poverty, low life expectancy, child neglect and more.