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Swaziland Rural Preschools - January to March 2009

From January to March 2009, I visited Swaziland for the purpose of assisting rural preschools. There were 31 schools visited some of which were new and others had been visited previously. Some schools couldn’t be reached during this trip due to heavy rains and delays encountered with the delivery of The Tender Years from the printers.

The average number of children in each school was 28. Teachers involved in this exercise were 45. Most of the schools had one teacher and others had two or three. Twelve government officials were contacted.

The following goals were accomplished during this trip:
The original plan was to fly to Johannesburg, South Africa, shop for supplies and drive to Swaziland for distribution. However, when we explored the customs duty for crossing the border, we decided to buy supplies locally.

The first challenge faced was the books we had sent for reprinting in Cape Town for delivery in Swaziland, had not arrived. The hope was that by the time I arrived, the books would have been delivered. It was almost three weeks before they came. This time was used to purchase supplies and meet with officials.

After several weeks the books finally arrived and were picked up from South Africa and I was ready to go to the field. I realized that I had to compete with heavy rains. A large percentage of the schools are in rural areas where the roads are near impassible during the rainy season.

Siyendle Community Preschool: The first thing the teacher of this preschool said was “thank you for the photograph you sent us – my kids, loved it.” (We sent a blown up photograph to each school contacted during the 2007 visit). She went on to show me around her class – there was paper and educational toys and stuffed animals from the previous visit. She also mentioned that her present classroom is “loaned” to her and she is working with the community to build a preschool. It appears they also have a desperate need for a good source of water, playground equipment and locally produced preschool workbooks, which she has found useful over the years. These tend to be too expensive for them because they depend on the paying students and most are unable to pay.

 
Teacher with children in their temporary class

Before I left her school, she asked if she could organize a workshop for the teachers in her area and would I be willing to conduct a workshop? (She is the coordinator/leader for the preschools in her area). I thought to myself, she will do all the notification and consultation with these teachers, all I have to do is show up and conduct the workshop! I was very honored to be given the opportunity to be of service in this manner for these hardworking teachers. She also wanted to make sure that I visit another teacher a few miles away. This is where I met a hard working and determined lady!

Magubheleni Preschool: This amazing lady told me she established a school in her community from scratch after her training with Mrs. Frances Fletcher. She worked there for two years until someone discovered her and begged her to come to another community (her present location from 1994 to present) to start a preschool. She agreed. During this period, she had to move her class from a teacher’s quarters, and then to a library. She realized that if this continued, she wasn’t going to be able to deliver her services satisfactorily as there were more children than the space provided. She took action. From her meager wages of E300 per month, (about $30), she decided to save a good portion of the money for a preschool building. It was a great sacrifice on her part to save this amount of money. When she had saved E10,000 she started making cement blocks. Some community members realized how determined she was and joined her efforts. Pretty soon, the roof, window frames, and door-frames were donated by an organization. Then the rest of the community decided to get involved in the project. Now she has a solid building and many happy children are enrolled in this preschool. She is such an inspiration to her community and she inspired me too.  

Click Here to Listen to the children reciting a rhyme about oranges in siSwati.

Click Here to Listen to the children reciting a rhyme about two little birds named Peter and Paul.
 

This is the building she saved for

Manzana Preschool: There were already 38 children enrolled and more were expected because it was only the beginning of the school year. They had most basic supplies and even had playground equipment, which is very rare especially for rural preschools. After the supplies were delivered and the teacher expressed her gratitude, I went out to the car and encountered two boys about 7 and 9 years old outside the preschool building and asked why they were not in school. They said their mother had passed a long time ago and their father could only afford to buy them food and was not able to pay their school fees. (Education is not free in Swaziland, parents have to pay for their children to go to school). This was disturbing but nothing could be done, it’s a widespread problem.


 

Teacher and children outside their class

Marvelous Preschool: This school was better equipped than most but they still lacked some basic supplies which they received with gratitude. They also received a chalkboard and audio tapes. There were twenty children enrolled. This school had three teachers, which is an unusual occurrence and one of the reasons is that they expect large numbers to enroll in subsequent weeks. In almost all cases, the teachers pointed out that parents enroll and pay fees for the older children first, and pay for the preschoolers last.
 

Name of preschool on front of building

Gilgal Preschool: This school was also better equipped and the teacher seemed confident and well organized. She has her learning centers nicely done. Educational supplies and music tapes were delivered and received with thanks. 

 
Children at play

During this week, one of our donors emailed us proposing to buy either a piece of land or a building that would be a tangible gift and last a long time. The offer was touching and we are hoping that in future this will be pursued.

Ekuthokozeni Preschool: This is one of the schools visited during the previous trip and it has serious challenges of space. The teacher says she is very frustrated because she needs bigger premises to be able to do her work. Parents are also unhappy about the cramped quarters. The teacher is taking action to repair a building that was meant to be a preschool but is now in disrepair. The walls are solid, but the roof, floor, windows and doors need major repairs. This building has a story (told by the teacher: daughter in-law of the original owner of the building): It turns out that the person who built the structure wanted it to be a learning center during weekdays and a place of worship on Sundays. He is said to have established this place for the young children who couldn’t walk to the nearest school about 13 miles away. The room is approximately 18 x 30 ft. He is said to have had three or four classes going in this room. When more children came, he appealed to the community to combine efforts and build a bigger school for the children in the area. From his humble efforts and determination, the community eventually built an elementary school and when the students graduated to high school they still had to walk for a long distance. Now they have a high school in the area, thanks to the initial efforts of this man of great insight. At this point, he insisted that the original building should be preserved and used as a preschool, and it was for a while, but now it needs repairs. The teacher would like to see this dream come true and is taking action. She has already bought some new window frames, two doors and she believes if she takes the first few steps, maybe someone will come along and assist her. She hopes the repaired building will be the preschool’s permanent home. These community teachers are so passionate, determined and willing to make sacrifices to give the children an opportunity to get some education and love. The estimated expenses for this endeavor, is less than two thousand dollars. At the time of this visit, Micro Steps couldn’t consider such a responsibility, but depending on anticipated goals, it may be possible to entertain such requests in the future.

 
Teacher and few children inside building needing repair

Mawelawela Preschool: As is common practice for most rural preschools, when weather conditions are very bad, parents are asked not to send their children to school. On this particular day the teacher had to go to the clinic and she is the only teacher, so she asked the children to stay home. As I asked around, I was told that the teacher had just alighted from a bus from the clinic. When she came, we went to her two-roomed school. She had desks and benches and a few basic teaching aids. A load of educational supplies and newsprint was delivered. She asked if it was possible to have books, a chalkboard, and playground equipment for the children. No promises were made, but I made note of this for the future. Her comments about The Tender Years, were that although she was not trained by Mrs. F. Fletcher, whenever she attends workshops she noticed that her former trainees are much more confident and skilled in their approach to what they do.

 
Teacher taking supplies from the car to her class

Nkwene Preschool: The teacher was approached, introductions made and we discussed a few details about the number of children. There were 20 enrolled and more expected in subsequent weeks. The supplies and music tapes were delivered and received with appreciation.

 
Some supplies

Malamlela Preschool: This was the second visit and the teacher is the only male preschool teacher I have encountered so far. He continues to be an inspiration and source of continuity for the children as he has been teaching for many years. As it was still early in the morning, there were only a few children. As soon as I walked towards their classroom, they came in and started singing. By the time their teacher came, they had taught me a few songs. The preschool is actually in part of another teacher’s house and there is talk that the community should build a preschool as the number of children is growing every year. When the children saw the stuffed toys and balls, they wanted to play! 

 
Teacher showing the children supplies and toys

Mbuluzi Preschool: This school has been visited before. When I arrived the children were making a line to wash their hands before they ate lunch. They asked if I was going to take photographs of them and when I did, some complained that they got pushed away and were not in the photograph.  For their peace of mind, I took more and told them they were now all in the photograph, they were happy. Since I could not drive near the class, I asked the teacher to help me carry supplies from the car and she also asked a few older children to help. Before we went to her class, she insisted that we take everything to the Principal’s office. We were introduced and he expressed appreciation of Micro Steps’ efforts in supporting the rural preschool with educational supplies.


 
Children having lunch

Gege Preschool: There were 28 children enrolled in this school and the teacher hosted the workshop. The building is solid and they would like to have children’s books, playground equipment, and educational toys.
 

Teacher on left hosted the workshop in her class
 

Eric Rosenberg Preschool: There are 27 children enrolled and two teachers. They have a good preschool building and lots of support from the headmaster of the elementary school and the community. They would like to have children’s books, playground equipment and toys in the future.

 
Some of the teachers who attended the workshop

Bethel Preschool: Twenty children enrolled and one teacher. On their wish list is a good source of water, children’s books and playground equipment.
 

Some supplies

Mashobeni South: Thirty children are enrolled in this school and only one teacher. They have children’s chairs and not much else. Supplies and music tapes from Red Notes Records were received with gratitude. A good source of drinking water, books, toys and playground equipment were on top of their wish list
 

More supplies

Ekuphakameni Preschool: There are 27 children enrolled and one teacher. They have adult benches and need children’s furniture, a good source of drinking water, children’s books and playground equipment. Supplies and audio tapes were received with gratitude.


Mashobeni Apostolic Preschool: Two teachers and 29 children. On their wish list were children’s books, toys and playground equipment. They received supplies and audio tapes.

 
Stuffed animals and other supplies

Ngodvwane Preschool: 25 children are enrolled and one teacher. More children expected to enroll. No children’s furniture, no teacher’s desk. They also would like to have children’s books, toys and playground equipment. Supplies and audio tapes were delivered.

 
More supplies

Siyendle Methodist Preschool: There are 27 children enrolled and more are expected in subsequent weeks. The teacher attended the workshop and received supplies and music audio tapes from Red Notes Records.

The Little Pearl Preschool: A friend who is familiar with the area accompanied me to the preschools. I was very grateful for this assistance because I didn’t know where the schools were and the weather was bad. We had to walk about three miles to get to one of the preschools. The learning centers and the art on the outside and inside walls looked great – it looks like a place of learning and the teacher has the freedom to do so.  The teacher is obviously well trained and has been teaching here for 15 years. As soon as we arrived, the children were peeping through the window curious about who we were (see photo). After introductions, we delivered the supplies and the teacher asked us to be silent for a few minutes to, “thank the Source of all gifts.”  She told us that she had been out of paper and the newsprint was gratefully accepted because she and her students can now relax for a long time before they worry about paper. After I returned to the US, we received a nice note of appreciation from the preschool. This is one of the schools identified to get playground equipment designed and donated by Dr. Stephen Scotti.
 

Children curious about what we were doing

Siyachubeka Preschool: We walked to this preschool because the road was impassible. We carried lightweight supplies and left the newsprint and heavier items for collection later. A small garage is used for a class and the children are quite cramped. The teacher told us that it is in their plan to build a preschool as soon as funds are available. Some challenges face them because most of these children have no support system and therefore, don’t pay for the services they receive. We have recently received a wonderful thank you letter from this teacher.
 

Teacher and children in the play area

Makholweni Preschool: Before we left the above school, the teacher asked if we could also see her friend in another school who is struggling with lack of supplies. We couldn’t make it as it was across a river and there was no bridge. Supplies for this school were left for collection later.

 
Balls, charts and newsprint

Mbeka Preschool: Again, another friend offered to help me with the delivery of some materials to this school and we didn’t have to walk far. I believe that whatever challenges these communities face, are easier to bear because the community members are supportive of the efforts of the teachers and they desire their children and grandchildren to have an education.
 

Preschool building by community

Phonjwana Preschool: Educational supplies were delivered and greatly appreciated. On the surface, this school looked self sufficient, but it needed some basic supplies, which we were happy to provide.

Nkomazi Preschool: I tried to drive to this school, but after the heavy rains, the road was damaged and I turned around. On the way out, I met a young lady who told me that the teacher had just left and if I drove faster, I could catch up with her before she walks off the road. We caught up and I introduced myself and told her about Micro Steps involvement with rural preschools. When I handed her The Tender Years, she asked how much I was selling it for and I told her it’s a gift from the donors of Micro Steps. She was stunned! For a few seconds, I could see she was still shocked and couldn’t say much except thank you. It was also an awkward encounter to meet a stranger on the road and receive a book and a few supplies with no expectation for payment in return. I enjoyed seeing the utter surprise on her pretty face. She later sent us a beautiful letter of appreciation.

Motshane Bahá’í School: It was raining very hard and since most children walk to school, they stay home when it rains. On this day, they were very few from nearby homesteads. This school lost playground equipment made from wood through a fire several years ago. We talked about having it replaced through the generous donation of our dear friend, Dr. Stephen Scotti, who has designed and donated playground equipment and will be visiting Swaziland soon on a service trip. The teacher was very pleasantly surprised that her school was a beneficiary of this effort. We received the news on April 30th that the playground equipment has been installed and is ready for the children to enjoy! All our gratitude and appreciation go to Dr. Stephen Scotti and Swazi Wire for all their assistance and hard work.

Salem Preschool: Another former student of Mrs. F. Fletcher has been teaching in this school since she graduated from her class in 1994. She says she has been using all the skills gained from her training, songs, poems, and rhymes, for the benefit of the children. She said the response of the parents if very positive – they tell her that when their children have gone through this preschool, they do much better in elementary school. She said this further encourages her to do her best in teaching the children. She was grateful for the supplies.

As I was leaving, a man approached me and asked if Micro Steps would consider assisting his community to build a preschool. Since there is no preschool in his area, the young children have to walk for long distances to get to the nearest preschool and it’s not only difficult but dangerous for children of that age. He also shared that the community has identified a young lady who has agreed to teach the children. I mentioned to him that at present, our organization does not build schools but that could change in the future, especially with communities who are already taking initiatives to help themselves.
 
Hlatikulu Bahá’í Preschool: This is the center where most preschool teachers in Swaziland were trained from the early 1980s and we’ve had a long relationship with this preschool. There are two teachers and 30 children enrolled at present. They did not need any supplies as they are now self-sufficient.
 

Self-sufficient pre-school at Hlatikulu

Sibovu Preschool: Because it was mid afternoon by the time I visited this school, they were done for the day. I saw a few ladies who work at the school and asked if I could leave the supplies. They were all familiar with Micro Steps work because we have been helping here long before Micro Steps was founded. I had the largest roll of newsprint I had ever purchased and it took four ladies to get it out of the back seat of the car because it was so heavy. We had two men help us to load it on the wheelbarrow to take it to the principal’s office.
 

Largest roll of newsprint ever purchased!

Montessori Baha’i Preschool: A video and audio tapes donated by Red Notes Records was delivered at this school.

Ministry of Education: Five copies of The Tender Years were given to the head of the preschool program in the Ministry of Education, one for her office and for each of the four regional educational training centers. The gift was highly appreciated.

 

Books delivered to the Ministry of Education

Workshop with Teachers: As mentioned earlier, the area coordinator had asked if we could conduct a workshop for the teachers in her region. Nine teachers responded. They proposed that we start the workshop with prayers. Introductions were made, each teacher telling the group where they teach, how many children they had and the many challenges they faced with the increasing number of orphaned and vulnerable children and how they were dealing with the situation. Listening to them relating these challenges, gave me a glimpse of how each one of them is doing their share to alleviate the impact of the crisis in their own way. What Micro Steps was doing for rural preschools was discussed. A short story about honesty and bravery, from a book of short stories, was shared and discussed, and everyone participated.

We talked about how to use The Tender Years, the role of the Teacher in the education of the child, procurement of teaching aids and recipes for making various things, observation of the child, and hygiene. We talked about recycling materials and using “recipes” in The Tender Years on how to make simple items so they don’t have to buy everything and that nothing should go to waste. The workshop was highly participatory.
Almost with one voice, they asked if Micro Steps would consider large gifts like playground equipment, preschool buildings, water wells, furniture, educational toys and libraries for their schools. Without making promises, I mentioned to them that presently, buildings were out of our scope and goals. However, these requests could be seriously considered for the future.

From this group there were two teachers trained by Mrs. Frances Fletcher. One of them related a story that she had recently lost her husband and her in-laws stripped her of everything she owned except her two small children. She mentioned that she didn’t believe that she could continue to live, but during the training, she received unconditional love and encouragement and found hope and new friends.

For the teachers who couldn’t make it to the workshop, supplies were given for their preschools. Before we closed, they wrote a thank you note to Micro Steps and each signed their names. These teachers are very dedicated in spite of a host of difficulties they face, they are supportive and appreciate each other’s struggles and they have learned ways to make do with very little. After the workshop was over, the teachers made contributions towards refreshments for the group.  


Workshop participants, organizer on left

During this trip we also encountered Neighborhood Care Points (NCPs). I visited three of these.

Siyendle Neighborhood Care Point: The first encounter with the NCPs was near a school with which we have had contact on several occasions before. As I drove to this school, the car got stuck in the mud. It was a little while before I managed to get it out and found a good place to park. I noticed a group of children and some adults outside a simply built structure. I got excited and approached them, introduced myself and told them briefly about what Micro Steps does. I was told about a new program called, Neighborhood Care Points (NCPs). Here, orphaned and vulnerable children receive care and support, a meal for the day, and some form of education. (More about these NCPs, and about how and why they were established, later). When one of the ladies saw The Tender Years, she became very animated telling me about her experiences and how she went back to her community to start a preschool from nothing, using the skills gained at her training with Mrs. Frances Fletcher. There were 35 children enrolled at this center, two teachers and several care-givers.
 

Child fascinated with book as supplies were delivered

On this recording, the teacher recounts a story of how she established a preschool after her training. Among other things, she explains the program of Neighborhood Care Points, the support they get from UNICEF and expresses her gratitude to Micro Steps for the supplies they received.

Ntokozweni Preschool (NCP): There were twenty children and more are enrolling. The teachers and other volunteers were sitting under a tree and the children were playing around. They informed me that a certain church owned the building and that UNICEF provides the food. After asking a few questions and getting answers, the supplies were delivered and one of the teachers specifically asked for a chalkboard, which she later received. I was impressed by the way she phoned two weeks later and asked if it would be possible for her school to get a chalkboard from Micro Steps. I told her it was if she would be willing to meet me about 30 miles from there. She agreed to board a bus to pick it up. A few weeks later we met outside Manzini. The last thing I saw of her was at the bus stop when she was carrying the chalkboard on her head. She was grinning like some great fortune had befallen her! These teachers and community volunteers don’t get paid or ask for much. They request school buildings, books, school supplies and other resources to develop their communities and reduce poverty through educating the young children. 
 

Teacher and some of the children at a Neighborhood Care Point

Magele Preschool (NCP): As is the case with these centers, the children are AIDS orphans. There are many community volunteers/caregivers and one or two teachers. They have a very simple structure built with traditional materials where they cook and feed the children. These children would otherwise have no food or anyone to take care of them. It is here that I personally encountered a nine year-old girl with her two siblings, six years and 18 months old. The nine year old takes care of the younger ones, making sure they are fed and cleaned up. One of the caregivers related a story that one morning, the nine year-old and her siblings came to the center all wearing wet clothes. The caregivers wondered what had happened to them because the day was clear and sunny. When they asked the oldest girl, she told them that their clothes were dirty and she decided to wash them just before they came to the center. She reasoned that since they have only one set of clothes, the way to solve the problem was to wash them and put them on right away. This child is not in school nor is her six year-old sister. It is heart breaking to see them having adult responsibilities. The caregivers were talking about plans to approach the principal of the elementary school and with help from UNICEF to enroll the nine year old in school. The caregivers would take care of the other two. Prior to all this, the house belonging to these three children came tumbling down during the heavy rains. Fortunately they all escaped unhurt and the community approached a distant relative to accommodate them until a permanent place could be arranged. These are some of the heart-wrenching experiences encountered in the AIDS devastated communities.

 
Children waiting to get their meal of the day

The following is a brief background on the NCPs from the UNICEF website:

Neighborhood Care Points: NCPs
“Supported by UNICEF, ‘Neighborhood Care Points’ are created within the communities where children can come together and access various services. There they can receive care and support, a meal for the day, and some form of education. Many of these children wind up living with their extended families, whose resources are increasingly stretched to the breaking point. There are currently 435 such care points in Swaziland, supporting some 33,000 children on a daily basis.” Swaziland has taken an innovative initiative to care for vulnerable children. The estimates of children orphaned and vulnerable now exceeds 70,000 and they often lack food, are cut off from basic health services and education.

“Children affected by AIDS face grave risks to their education, health and well-being. They may have to forgo schooling; there may be less food or clothing for them in the household; they may suffer from anxiety, depression and abuse. Alarmingly, new evidence finds that orphans and vulnerable children have a higher risk of exposure to HIV than non-affected children. Poverty remains one of the root causes of vulnerability of children and families affected by AIDS.”  (Mr. Brody, UNICEF Report, Swaziland).

What’s next and sustainable for Micro Steps?
After returning from my trip to Swaziland, we met with a representative of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in Seattle. He asked poignant questions with regard to what we envisioned Micro Steps doing in five years and how our efforts would contribute to long-term sustainability. During this meeting, we understood that the Gates Foundation and others, like it, would not contribute to Micro Steps because of the differences in size and scope.

After this meeting three board members and a donor consulted and recommend that for now Micro Steps should focus on the following:
To conclude this report, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to all our loyal donors and friends whose generous donations made this trip a possibility and specifically:
To our present and future donors, thank you again for supporting Micro Steps’ efforts. We are very fortunate to have your generous support that enables us to provide educational and other assistance to needy rural preschools, which in turn gives them hope for a better and brighter future.

Please feel free to ask any questions or clarification where needed.
Thank you.

Makhosazana Fletcher, Micro Steps, Groveland, California
 May 1, 2009


Summary Statistics - Swaziland 2009 Q1 Project



Students affected by distributions and training 868
Teachers trained through workshops: 9
Schools where materials were given 31
Schools serviced in 2009 not previously visited 17
Teachers given The Tender Years (preschool teacher training manual) 28
Regional centers given The Tender Years (preschool teacher training manual) 4
National centers given The Tender Years (preschool teacher training manual) 1
Schools where audio materials (songs) were distributed. (Red Grammer) 31
Schools where video materials (songs) were distributed. (Red Grammer) 1
Female teachers contacted through distributions or workshops 44
Male teachers contacted through distributions or workshops 1
Total teachers contacted through distributions or workshops 45
Government officials, national, regional, or local administrators contacted 12
Unsolicited thank you letters received to date from 2009 trip 6
Materials not previously distributed: Chalkboards
Materials identified as needs for future distributions: Chalkboards, chairs (or carpets), playground equipment, stuffed animals, buildings, wells.
Total cost (including in-kind contributions) $9,175
Cost per affected student: $11
Cost per affected teacher: $204