Early childhood care and education (ECCE)

Early childhood care and education (ECCE) addresses the period from birth to 8 years old. It is an key stage for education intervention because it capitalises on a period of rich brain development for children. When children receive a good quality education early on in life, this can help them achieve their full potential.

ECCE can lay the foundation for good health and nutrition, learning and educational success, social-emotional learning, and economic productivity throughout life.¹ VSO champions learning through play and utilises evidence-based approaches.

We use the power of high-skilled volunteers and technology to enable ECCE teachers and facilitators to learn how to make educational resources from low cost or free locally available resources. Most children learn more effectively through visual aids, but in many countries educational resources are scant. VSO’s ECCE work particularly promotes inclusion of children with disability and neurodiversity.

Projects supporting ECCE

Let’s Learn Through Play (Twigire Mumikino Rwanda)

Play is the most important way for children to gain essential knowledge and skills. Twigire Mumikino Rwanda, or ‘Let’s Learn Through Play', is a four-year project funded by the Lego Foundation creating change at all levels of the education system.

Rohingya children play with the toys donated by VSO

Supporting Rohingya child refugees

Providing Rohingya child refugees with vital care, home-based education, and safe places to learn and play.

A piece of cardboard with diagrammes and numbers to help pupils learn simple addition

Numeracy for all

Developing low-cost, high-quality maths teaching aids.

Andrew Ashe with children using tablets to support education in Malawi

VSOSCHOOL app: Using technology to empower educators

The VSOSCHOOL app is an invaluable resource that supports children and educator’s learning – both inside and outside the classroom.

Gati supports her mentee Evalyne through any challenges she is facing and with her studies.

Support us with a donation

Paul Wambugu

£10 a month could help a VSO volunteer to coach a teacher in how to make lessons inclusive so that vulnerable children have the opportunity to learn.

17-year-old Student Celine, inside an education catch-up centre in southwest Kenya.

VSO/Paul Wambugu

£15 a month could enable volunteers to challenge gender inequality and raise awareness of the dangers of child marriage within their community.

Rohingya children in refugee camp classroom

£25 a month could help provide safe spaces for refugee children to learn, play and reclaim a sense of childhood.

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£25

£25 could supply an education kit containing a school bag, books, pencils, pens and erasers, so children are equipped to learn. 

Dhanmati, volunteer big sister with her little sister

£50 could help match a VSO volunteer with a girl who has been forced out of school to help her gain life-changing skills.

Suraj Shakya

£100 could help provide a wheelchair or prosthesis to a disabled girl so that she can access the classroom and be able to get an education.

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£100

Footnotes

https://www.unesco.org/en/early-childhood-education/need-know