Giving children a chance in Mozambique

The children in the yard outside the daycare look happy. They sing and dance, and play games together-laughing all the while.

It wasn't always this way for many of them. When these children first arrived at this daycare in Guemulene, southern Mozambique, they often looked frightened, never smiled or laughed, and keep to themselves.

They arrived here as orphans and vulnerable children. They may have lost one or both of their parents―usually to AIDS. They may have been abandoned or abused.

''These children have suffered a lot,'' says Verónica Sitoe, coordinator of the daycare. And the effects of their trauma can often be seen in their lack of social skills. ''Sometimes when children arrive here, they are afraid of people,'' says Monica Langa, coordinator of a sister daycare in Chizavane, 40 km away. ''They don't play with the other children.''

Another reason the new kids may keep to themselves is that they can only communicate in Shangana, the local language, rather than Portuguese-the lingua franca of Mozambique. ''Here, they learn to socialize and speak Portuguese,'' says Ms. Langa.

The daycares began in 2002, and each one cares for about 65 preschoolers between the ages of three and five. They receive help from Save the Children, a non-governmental organization (NGO) funded by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA).

''Save the Children worked with us to find out how we wanted to be helped.'' says Ms. Sitoe. ''They do not give us money, but instead, they do things that keep our centre running.''

For instance, Save the Children constructed sturdy one-room buildings with steel roofs so the children could learn their lessons and play in a healthy and comfortable environment. And the NGO provides educational materials, such as portable blackboards, which can be used by an individual child. It's a big improvement over drawing in the sand.

Although the children learn the basics of personal development―washing regularly, brushing their hair, dressing properly―the overarching goal of the staff, which includes cooks who make hot meals for the children, is to see that the preschoolers are well socialized and prepared for primary school. ''When the children leave this place, we want them to be smart and able to succeed in their studies,'' says Ms. Sitoe. ''A child can do a lot for the future of this place and for the good of this country."

Of course there's always more that can be done. And Save the Children is rising to meet that challenge. ''They promised to build more classrooms'' says Ms. Langa. ''And we could also use more toys.''

Educating children is one of the Millennium Development Goals, and is also a sector of focus for CIDA in Mozambique, along with health and HIV/AIDS, and agriculture and rural development.