Nursery practice has been transported fruitfully from rural Wales to an east African village, as Nick Waller discovers
Flic Eden's arrival at the village of Karagwe, in the tropical rainforest area of Tanzania, concluded a 300-mile trek over red dirt roads. 'I expected to see a settlement once the cloud of dust had cleared, but I was wrong,' says the Welsh nursery teacher. 'The dwellings are very spread out and the villagers are largely self-sufficient by working their land. It is an extremely fertile area and the fruit and vegetables were practically shooting up before my eyes, especially mango, pawpaw and loofah trees. And the heat and humidity took a bit of getting used to, as I had flown out from the depths of British weather!'
She had taken the chance to span an enormous cultural divide by visiting Karagwe as an ambassador for the Machynlleth Community Nursery that has been long established as a daycare provider in west Wales. The small town of Machynlleth, where many children have Welsh as their first language, nestles on the banks of the River Dyfi in Powys. The area is rural and sparsely populated.
Scope for change
The story started in 1996 when Joseph Sekiku, who had graduated in agriculture in Tanzania, was invited to study at the Centre for Alternative Technology a few miles north of Machynlleth. Joseph was developing a tomato and pepper growing business in his native village of Karagwe, but he had a keen interest in early years education, inspired by his own children. There was no concept of pre-school education in Karagwe, let alone provision, and he recognised the scope for change.
While studying, Joseph made contact with a trustee of Machynlleth nursery and became a frequent visitor, absorbing the principles of early years teaching methods and exchanging ideas on management. On his return to Karagwe, he set up a nursery school for 30 children in an extension of his office.
In the millennium year, Joseph extended an invitation to the Machynlleth nursery to visit Tanzania. He wanted to introduce good practice to his staff and explore the cultural differences between the nurseries with the children. Funding posed some problems, but the enthusiasm of the staff helped raise additional cash and it was topped up with a grant from the British Executive Services Overseas.
Esteem for education
Flic Eden spent three weeks getting a taste of the junior education system in Kampala, Uganda, before travelling to Joseph's nursery school. She says, 'Children start national school at seven years old and often have to travel huge distances to do so. There is no formal state provision in place before this age and early years learning and experiences are seen strictly in a family context.'
She took a supply of books, games and craft materials to Joseph's nursery, although the greatest hit was an audio cassette which delighted teachers and children alike. 'The value of an education is held in such esteem that the idea of learning through play is a complete departure,' says Flic Eden. 'One of the verses the children taught me went, "We go to school to be doctors and teachers. If you don't go to school you'll be our servant".'
Joseph's team includes Nestroy Mushejaki, a 62-year-old retired male primary school teacher, and Pascha- zia Michael, a young woman with no formal qualifications. Flic Eden spent many hours with both, introducing ideas that have formed the basis for recent European childcare and education practice. 'Joseph has struggled against the odds to build the facility in Karagwe,' she says. 'It is a farming area and education was never a priority under the old communist regime. His perseverance has created a much brighter future for local children and he is already planning to expand.'
The children at Machynlleth nursery now have an exotic addition to morning break in the form of dried pineapple slices, and Flic Eden has entertained the parents of the nursery with a slide show of her adventures. Mr Mushejaki is visiting in the autumn on a reciprocal visit. Everyone has realised that the children of Machynlleth and Karagwe have a lot more in common than postcards.
