Description

The project involves developing and running a series of 12 monthly workshops for rural Swazi preschool teachers and neighbourhood care point workers (community facilities for orphaned and vulnerable children).

Aims of the project

The project aims to empower rural Swazi preschool teachers, most of whom are women and many of whom have no formal qualifications, by:

•  Providing an opportunity for them to learn about theories of early childhood development;
•  Providing an opportunity for the to translate the theory into practice, for example by making learning resources for their classrooms and developing classroom activities for rural Swazi preschools;
•  Providing them an opportunity to network and share ideas and challenges with other preschool teachers.
• This is expected to assist them in their teaching practice and increase the recognition they get for the important work they are doing in their communities.

Facilitators

•  Fortunate Sihlongonyane- Dip ECCE, teacher at Matjana Preschool
•  Tessa McGavock Ba Teaching (0-5 years), Ma Education (Leadership), Director UWS Early Learning, Australia
  
•  Michelle Brear, Ba Env Health, Ma Int Health, PhD student at Monash University, Australia, Coordinator Matjana Community Research group

Fortunate will plan and facilitate the workshops. Tessa will provide curriculum support via email and Skype and interact with the participants using Skype during the workshop. Michelle will provide face to face support to plan and conduct participatory learning activities for the workshops.