WEEMA has big plans this year for strengthening pre-primary education in Tembaro – specifically, in Buho and Mudula.

While Tembaro has 39 primary schools, most have few or no classrooms for teaching kindergarten-aged children. In Buho, for example, the primary school has only two classrooms for 320 kindergarten-aged students. As a result of these gaps, thousands of young children in Tembaro are missing out on critical early child learning opportunities. Studies show that kindergarten is a prime developmental stage for cognitive, social-emotional and physical development for 4- to 6-year-old children.

WEEMA is partnering with community members and local schools in Buho and Mudula to expand kindergarten services. We’re providing materials to build separate kindergarten facilities at primary schools in Buho and Mudula, including classrooms, playgrounds and latrines. (Mudula has three primary schools and we previously added a kindergarten at one of the schools.) We’re also providing early education teacher training.

The new facilities, expected to open in September, will benefit about 600 kindergarten-aged children each year. This, in addition to thousands of young children who have graduated from five other kindergartens we have already built or improved in Mudula and other parts of Tembaro.

Our new kindergartens in Buho and Mudula will result in more graduation ceremonies like this one last year in Tembaro.