Longido Early Childhood Education (LECHE)
Indigenous children from rural communities are often disadvantaged upon entering the school system, leading to poor performance and early dropout. This perpetuates a cycle of marginalization, as too few Maasai are qualified for positions of power that affect government services, such as health, education and agriculture, to their communities.
Recently, Sara Mollelian contacted Sauti Moja Canada, communicating her passion for Maasai children and her commitment to bringing free, early childhood education to remote communities. After the community confirmed its commitment through their on-going contributions to this project, Sauti Moja embraced Sara’s initiative.
Nevada Learning Series, a Canadian supplier of educational materials for computer software, has made a long-term commitment to support LECHE, thereby contributing to healthy early childhood development among rural children, increased success rates at school, and stronger communities.
Tanzanian Child Mothers
Tanzanian school girls who become pregnant suffer consider emotional trauma. Though a Maasai child’s pregnancy does not carry much social stigma, she is likely to be forced into marriage, which ends any educational aspirations that she may have had. Sauti Moja has initiated a Child Mother Project in Longido District to assist pregnant girls, who have been chased from school, to experience healthy pregnancy and delivery, avoid early marriage, and maintain educational opportunities. Activities include short-term care and on-going counseling, family mediation, life skills education, and advocacy to ensure that they are permitted to return to school.
A Canadian donor, who is highly sympathetic to the plight of these child mothers, is committed to raising the funds needed to establish and operate this project for three years.
