MEET THE PEOPLE AT THE MPHALAS
“The centre has brought much good. Our children are protected. In the past, children would get sick a lot, but after the centre opened, that stopped. That’s because of what we’ve learned,” says Mercy Mbewe, at a Mphala in the Chipata District.
Mphalas, early childhood development (ECD) hubs combine the traditional role of the community hall with services and advice on health, hygiene, nutrition, early learning, play, parenting and adult literacy. In Mphalas, teachers offer free education for parents and children. Health workers vaccinate children and screen them for malnutrition. Caregivers run playful parenting sessions to stimulate children’s development. And Parents learn to adapt, improve and enhance the daily care they give to their young children.
Michael Zulu is the Centre Manager at Katamukwa Mphala. He explains that the hub offers training in four principal areas: feeding; play and communication; preventing illness; and responding to illness. They support pregnant women with information on good nutrition during pregnancy, exclusive breastfeeding for the baby’s first six months, and introducing other foods – alongside breastfeeding – up to two years of age.
Mercy Mbewe learned about the ECD hub from a member of her community and chose to join the programme and to enrol her child, Dorcas too. At the hub she received information on good nutrition and how to use local vegetables not only for food, but for chemical-free drinks. She also learned about early childhood development and how play contributes to learning in the early years.
“Before the centre, our children weren’t stimulated. Since the centre opened, our children aged 1 to 6 are developing intellectually because of what they learn here.”
Memory Gwai, is a caregiver at Katamukwa Mphala where she focuses on young children’s stimulation. She tailors activities according to the children’s ages. She also advises expectant parents to start communicating with their baby while still in the womb. Memory cares for her own three-year-old daughter, Confidence, using the same skills. “Before the programme, there were things my daughter could not do, but now she can count, and she knows her vowels.”
Agness Tembo learned about the ECD hub from a community counsellor who informed her about the programme. Through visits to the stimulation room at the hub, she has learned how to play with her young daughter. She has also learned about the preparation of nutritious meals for her child and how to watch for signs of illness. “We now use what we grow to provide meals for our children. We did not know how to do this before we joined the Early Childhood Development programme.”
