8 Oct 2010

MALAWI / EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION

In Malawi, where malnutrition rates are high and nearly half of the children suffer from stunted growth, thousands of childcare centers across the country care for the country’s disadvantaged children. UNICEF

Posted at: October 8, 2010 9:43 am

Duration: 03:09

Available in: SD

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Full script

STORY: MALAWI / EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION 
TRT: 3:09
SOURCE: UNICEF
RESTRICTIONS: NONE 
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / CHEWA / NATS
 
DATELINE: 26 AUGUST 2010, CHITETA, MALAWI
 
SHOTLIST:
 
1. Close-up, Leviticus reciting alphabet
2. Wide shot, classroom with children
3. Med shot Leviticus singing and dancing
4. Wide shot, outside of centre
5. Med shot, child on swing
6. Close-up, kid reading book
7. Close-up, page of book
8. SOUNDBITE (Chewa) Blessing Gama, Volunteer caregiver:
"I come here because the children are our future leaders and I want them to develop this village.
I want this village to be a better place."
9. Med shot kids singing at Chimteka Community Based Childcare Centre
10. Close-up, kids dancing Mchinje
11.Wide shot, Man watering plants in school garden at Chiteta
12.Close-up, plants in garden
13.Close-up, plants in garden
14.SOUNDBITE (English) Nathan Milana, Community Volunteer:
"We do sell some of our vegetables to get money for sugar and for soap. And some is used to feed our children.
15. Med shot, food
16. Med shot, food being served in by server
17. Close-up, plate with food
18. Close-up, Leviticus eating
19. SOUNDBITE (Chewa) Leviticus, five-years-old:
"The porridge is delicious. I'm eating it to become fat."
20. Wide shot, child being weighed
21. Close-up, health worker
22. Wide shot, children eating on floor in Chiteta
23. Wide shot, school building
24. SOUNDBITE (English) Kusalo Kubwalo, Communications Officer, UNICEF Malawi:
"The important thing for us, what we need to do now is make sure the centres are up to a certain standard.
Which means that the caregivers are given the right training and know how to handle the kids, but also
that the centres provide the environment they're supposed to give."
25. Wide shot, Leviticus goes home, straw hut
26. Med shot, Leviticus arrives home, mother in foreground
27. SOUNDBITE (Chewa) Martha, Leviticus' mother:
"If he wasn't going there, he would just have been playing in the field and around the house, you'd just have found a very dirty little boy."
28. Med shot, Leviticus
29. Close up, Leviticus
30.Med shot, chickens in their house

STORYLINE: 
 
Born into poverty and with just one parent, five-year old Leviticus goes to Chiteta childcare center every morning.

The center is one of thousands across Malawi aimed at making sure that the countries many AIDS orphans and disadvantaged children get off to the best possible start. They're all community projects so everyone including the teachers are volunteers.

SOUNDBITE (Chewa) Blessing Gama, 29 years old, father of two young children:
"I come here because the children are our future leaders and I want them to develop this village. I want this village to be a better place.

The centres are, in many ways, like nursery's and kindergartens around the world. It's a place to sing, dance and to make new friends.

But to thrive in class the children need to be healthy. So vegetable gardens form an important part of the centres providing both extra food and a source of income.

SOUNDBITE (Chewa) Nathan Milana, Community Volunteer:
"We do sell some of our vegetables to get money for sugar and for soap. And some is used to feed our children"

For many of the children the school lunch may be their only meal of the day. Malnutrition rates are high in Malawi with nearly half of the children suffering from stunted growth. For Leviticus, it's a chance to refuel after a morning of frenetic activity.

SOUNDBITE (Chewa) Leviticus, five-years-old:
" The porridge is delicious. I'm eating it to become fat "

If he doesn't grow as he should, the hope is that the centre will spot it first. Every month a health worker comes to weigh the children. .

SOUNDBITE (English) Kusali Kubwalo, Communications Officer, UNICEF Malawi
"The important thing for us, what we need to do now is make sure the centres are up to a certain standard. Which means that the caregivers are given the right training and also the centres provide the environment they're supposed to give."

It's a two kilometer walk back to the home Leviticus shares with his mom, brothers and sisters.  She farms cotton and maize and says the childcare centre has kick-started her sons education.

SOUNDBITE  (Chewa), Martha, Leviticus' mother:
"If he wasn't going there, he would just have been playing in the field and around the house – you'd just have found a very dirty little boy."

As for Leviticus he's already got big ambitions. He wants to become a farmer too he says and to own a big car.