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"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams!  Live the life you’ve imagined." -  Henry David Thoreau

IMPACT OF EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAMS IN NEPAL

For the past three years, Save the Children has been working with local NGO's in the Siraha district of Nepal to provide early childhood development services which have reached over 20,000 families.  These services have demonstrated dramatic effects for young children, families and communities.  A publication shared with Exchange by Save the Children's Caroline Arnold, What's the Difference?  The Impact of Early Childhood Development Programs, summarizes the results of this initiative.  While the report offers a great deal of documentation of the impacts, what impressed us the most were some of the testimonials from parents and teachers:

Thakani Devi Choudhary -- parent:  "Why would we not be satisfied?  Every activity of the center helps our children improve. They learn so much  from games and songs, and they don't feel stress in learning this way.  They share the things they learn each day with us, and it makes us happy to see what they are learning.  These children are so different from other children!  They know how to speak to others.  If you asked a non ECD child a question, you wouldn't get an answer -- they would probably run away if they saw a new person.  But you can go test this at the center and see how confident they are.  They'll answer you very confidently.  They are all friendly with one another and they play without quarrelling.  These children are talkative, and they never stop asking questions."

Nar Maya Thapa -- Education Officer, Save the Children:  "It was so difficult to interact with women in these communities in the past, especially in the group meetings.  They were reluctant to say anything in front of men.  They covered their faces with their saris and just sat in the corner.  Even the facilitators used to cover their faces when there were men around.  Gradually they've become more willing to speak.  Now women lead the management committees in a number of centers and can easily express their views in meetings. . . . Frequent meetings, exposure to outsiders, and the responsibilities they are faced with have really empowered these women."

Hari Narayan Choudhary -- parent and secretary of management committee:  "Our center does not discriminate against anyone on the basis of caste.  Chamar children come and sit together with our children.  They are good friends. Our children have no idea who is upper caste and who is lower.  The facilitator treats them all equally.  Children eat together and play together. I don't think there will be a caste issue in their future."

Sarita Singh -- Primary school teacher:  "The ECD children are different from the others.  They come to school more regularly and they learn fast. They already know their numbers and letters, and that makes them very easy to teach.  They are quite neat and disciplined, but also talkative -- they're not afraid of anyone."

Caroline Arnold has offered to provide copies of What's the Difference (with a strong message beautifully told) at no cost to ExchangeEveryDay readers who are willing to make a donation to cover postal costs.  Contact Save the Children at [email protected].

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