Core issues of ECOLI Projects

Elimu Community Light (ECOLI) is response to lack of proper care and development of children specifically in the Arusha municipality community. The organization envisions a Tanzania with educated and developed citizens and has its mission to advocate for the provision of ECD to children aged 0-8 years, impart knowledge and skills on positive care-giving and develop models of good practice in caring and developing for small children. Two central beliefs inform the work of ECOLI they are that the nation which is developing depends on its educated and skilled citizens and also that the foundation of adulthood is built in early childhood. ECOLI’s theory of change is based on creating awareness, innovation and change while model of change is through promoting awareness and change on ECD that enable young children to access quality care, protection and development through implementing projects and programs that improve the well being of the children in the community. The dream of ECOLI is to one day children can receive quality ECD in all 20 wards of the Arusha Municipality and eventually maybe move beyond that. If the need for developing young children could be better understood by all and ECD would be invested in, then ECOLI would be able to rest. However, this is not yet the reality and ECOLI would like to grow in its influence to advocate for young children and lobby for provision of quality ECD that is available and accessible to all. This is all just a means, of course, for developing Tanzanian society as a whole and ensuring future success by putting forth the effort to take care of the upcoming generation of Tanzanian citizens.

ECD in Tanzania and Arusha at a glance

Although currently ECD has been placed on the development agenda and it has become part of plans, direct changes as a result have yet to be seen here in Tanzania and Arusha specifically. The situation states that majority of the pre-primary schools attached to primary schools are poorly resourced and over 80% of ECD centers are unregistered and in poor condition. Attendance at these schools may in fact do more harm than good for a child’s development. The lack of ECD curriculum, supplies and play materials, absence of trained teachers and the tendency to teach didactically and focus on literacy and numeracy skills make the learning environment developmentally inappropriate. Research shows that “in primary schools, an average of 10% of children in Standard One are repeaters, indicating that children had not been prepared for school, that the curriculum content is inappropriate or that teachers are poorly trained to cope with induction classes. It would be an exaggeration to say that the status of ECD in Tanzania is in shambles but there is clearly room for significant improvement of how ECD activities are actually conducted in terms of appropriateness, professionalism, and equity. The need for quality and accessible ECD provision in Tanzania is more than evident. ECD is in a sorry state and the children are suffering but the solution has been identified and groups are working on changing the situation, example ECOLI.

 What ECOLI do?

ECOLI has committed to ensure that Tanzania’s children are not failed but rather receive the adequate preparation they need. No one wins when the children lose. They become a burden, rather than an asset and simple investment early on can save much greater expenses later on, both in terms of finances and human capacity. In order to eliminate the above said situation, intervention has taken by ECOLI to support and build the capacity of ECD day caretakers and teachers in Arusha municipality who will in turn build the capacity of children and the communities as a whole. ECOLI is offering them capacity building course with contents include training on a holistic approach on ECD service needs. Overall, the course could be seen as divided into six primary units: knowledge of child psychology; special curriculum for how to care, teach and educate young children; early childhood care and development (ECCD) perspectives at the center and in the community; organization administration and management under human resource management concepts; basic health education; and research conducting skills. Theoretically and practically ECOLI had trained a total of one hundred and thirty eight (138) ECD care takers and teachers up to date. This program had been brought a significant of improvement of ECD and change in the community.

 What ECOLI need?

Unfortunately critical poverty among community members, poor infrastructures, inadequate teaching aids and resources leads trained ECD professionals to fail in implementation of their activities. Currently ECOLI aims to empower and  innovate ECD services in the community through promoting, senstaizing and improve ECD practitioners to provide children needs at their day care and pre school centers that include teaching aids/materials, nutrition food, health monitoring etc. In order to fulfill this, ECOLI needs donors who will support this project program just because the outcomes of education and investment in children are now. In fact, making the mistake of inadequately addressing children’s needs is likely to result in further problems in the future that are more expensive to fix and can have horrible consequences. ECOLI has identified THEMSFF as a potential development partner in this project program. ECOLI will be excited if you will accept this proposal/request for further communication.

What we need to achieve

The organization’s vision is to see a Tanzania with educated and developed citizens  through enhancing the capacity of marginalized groups by linking them with opportunities while advocating for quality education that is affordable and accessible for all.  As ECOLI’s belief that the foundation for adulthood is built in early childhood and a nation which is developing depends on its educated and skilled citizens. ECOLI is presently seeking support to complete its strategic plan for growth, expansion, and enhancement of its ability to provide services to more children and families in Arusha’s most marginalized community.  Long-term goals are to establish model centers in every ward that provide exemplary ECD services and are community resources for information and education on the specific needs of children.    ECOLI wants to sow the seeds in children to turn them into Tanzania’s future thoughtful and critical citizens; citizens who are able to break free from the shackles of poverty and develop themselves.

Msingi masuala ya ECOLI Miradi

Elimu Jumuiya ya Mwanga (ECOLI) ni kukabiliana na ukosefu wa huduma nzuri na maendeleo ya watoto hasa katika mikoa ya Arusha jamii ya manispaa. Shirika inadhani ya Tanzania pamoja na maendeleo ya wananchi wa elimu na ina lengo lake kwa wakili kwa ajili ya utoaji wa ECD kwa watoto wenye umri wa miaka 0-8, kutoa elimu na ujuzi juu-kutoa huduma nzuri na kuendeleza mifumo ya utendaji bora katika kutunza na kuendeleza kwa wadogo watoto. Mbili imani kuu taarifa ya kazi ya ECOLI wao ni kwamba taifa ambayo ni zinazoendelea hutegemea elimu na ujuzi wa wananchi wake na pia kwamba msingi wa watu wazima ni kujengwa katika utoto. 's nadharia ECOLI ya mabadiliko ya msingi juu ya kujenga ufahamu, ugunduzi na mabadiliko ya wakati mtindo wa mabadiliko ni kwa njia ya kuhamasisha na mabadiliko ya ECD ili kuwawezesha watoto kupata huduma bora, ulinzi na maendeleo kwa njia ya miradi ya kutekeleza na mipango ya kuboresha ustawi wa watoto katika jamii. Ndoto ya ECOLI ni kwa watoto wa siku moja wanaweza kupokea ECD ubora katika kata 20 yote ya Manispaa ya Arusha na hatimaye labda hoja zaidi ya hapo. Kama mahitaji kwa ajili ya kuendeleza watoto wadogo inaweza kuwa bora na kufahamika kwa wote na ECD itakuwa imewekeza katika, basi ECOLI itakuwa na uwezo wa mapumziko. Hata hivyo, hii bado ni ukweli na ECOLI ingekuwa kama kukua katika ushawishi wake wa kutetea watoto wadogo na kushawishi kwa ajili ya utoaji wa ECD quality kwamba ni kupatikana kwa wote. Hii yote ni njia tu, bila shaka, kwa ajili ya kuendeleza jamii ya Watanzania kwa ujumla na kuhakikisha mafanikio ya baadaye kwa kuweka nje ya juhudi ya utunzaji wa kizazi ujao wa raia wa Tanzania.

ECD Tanzania na Arusha katika mtazamo wa

ECD ingawa kwa sasa imekuwa kuwekwa katika ajenda ya maendeleo na imekuwa ni sehemu ya mipango, mabadiliko ya moja kwa moja kama matokeo bado kuonekana hapa nchini Tanzania na Arusha hasa. Hali inasema kwamba wengi wa shule za msingi kabla ya masharti ya shule za msingi ni hafifu rasilimali na zaidi ya 80% ya vituo vya ECD ni Unregistered na katika hali mbaya. Mahudhurio katika shule hizi inaweza ukweli madhara zaidi kuliko mema kwa ajili ya maendeleo ya mtoto. Ukosefu wa ECD mitaala, vifaa na vifaa vya kucheza, ukosefu wa walimu na tabia ya kufundisha didactically na kuzingatia ujuzi wa kusoma na kuandika na kuhesabu kutengeneza mazingira ya kujifunza developmentally muafaka. Utafiti unaonyesha kwamba "katika shule za msingi, wastani wa 10% ya watoto katika darasa moja ni repeaters, kuonyesha kwamba watoto alikuwa tayari kwa ajili ya shule, ya kwamba maudhui ya mitaala ni muafaka au kwamba walimu ni hafifu mafunzo ya kukabiliana na madarasa introduktionsutbildning. Itakuwa ni exaggeration kusema kwamba hali ya ECD Tanzania umesambaratika lakini kuna chumba wazi kwa ajili ya kuboresha kubwa ya jinsi shughuli ECD ni kweli uliofanywa katika suala la kufaa, taaluma, na usawa. Haja ya ubora na utoaji ECD kupatikana katika Tanzania ni zaidi ya dhahiri. ECD ni katika hali ya huzuni na watoto ni mateso lakini ufumbuzi imekuwa kutambuliwa na vikundi ni kazi ya kubadilisha hali hiyo, mfano ECOLI.

ECOLI nini nini?

ECOLI ina nia ya kuhakikisha kuwa watoto wa Tanzania si alishindwa lakini badala ya kupokea maandalizi ya kutosha wanahitaji. Hakuna mafanikio wakati watoto kupoteza. Wanakuwa mzigo, badala ya mali na rahisi uwekezaji mapema inaweza kuokoa gharama kubwa sana baadaye, katika suala la fedha na uwezo wa binadamu. Ili kuondokana na hapo alisema hali, ntervention i ana kwa ECOLI kusaidia na kujenga uwezo wa walezi wa siku ECD na walimu katika manispaa ya Arusha ambao kwa upande kujenga uwezo wa watoto na jamii kama...