pre-school
Miles Of Smile Daycare
“We aim to put an unexpected smile on a face by caring for, loving, supporting, trusting, teaching the value of sharing and educating our children!”
Miles of Smile Daycare is a small daycare centre established in September 2020 and officially registered in 2022. The director Isaya Kiriama is 26 years old and a doctor by profession. He employs two educators, a cook and a deaf-mute person who plays with and cares for the children.
Currently, 33 children attend the day care centre, but only 16 children pay a minimum monthly fee. The children get porridge every day and on some days a cooked meal. The centre cannot currently afford a daily lunch. The children are between 2 and 6 years old, and when they are 7 years old, they are enrolled in a government primary school.
In 2023 a project sponsorship program was started in cooperation with STEP Africa volunteers and the German charity Giving Smiles e.V.
Furahia Mtoto Foundation
The Furahia Mtoto Foundation is a day care centre and preschool for children up to 6 years of age and was founded in 2018 by Cosmas William Ngira. Families who come from difficult backgrounds, such as single and/or unemployed parents, have the opportunity to bring their children to Furahia Mtoto Foundation. The day care centre offers a safe and family-friendly alternative where the children are cared for while the families have the opportunity to go to work and earn income. In addition, the children learn social behaviour among their peers, receive regular meals (which are not always provided at home) and are taught English. Also, attendance at the institution is free of charge, parents do not have to pay fees. As Furahia Mtoto is a non-governmental organisation, it relies on donations to pay for food, teachers’ salaries, teaching materials, etc.
Currently, 35 children are taught by three teachers in separate classrooms. Children up to the age of 4 attend the baby class, while the other children aged four to six go to the preparatory class. The pre-school classes prepare the children for primary school by teaching them how to write and count.
Gily's Children Foundation
Gily’s Daycare is a kindergarten / preschool founded in 2019 for children aged 9 months to 6 years. The aim of the facility is to offer age-appropriate care for children who live in difficult economic and personal circumstances. The parents or guardians of the children do not pay any monthly contribution to the facility. To ensure childcare and meals the center is supported by international sponsors. While their children are being looked after, parents have the opportunity to work or study. There are no public childcare facilities in Tanzania for children under the age of 4. Many parents are therefore forced to leave their children alone or with neighbors while they are working or trying to find work. In the worst case, children run the risk of being brought to orphanages by their desperate families for lack of other perspectives, which the family hopes will improve the future prospects for the children. However, such a separation should be avoided at all costs, since it can result in long-term damage for the children such as attachment and anxiety issues. The Gily’s Foundation consists of two Centers, one for the little ones and one for the Pre-school children.
Mwanzo Daycare
Mwanzo Daycare is a small daycare facility close to the big Kilombero market in Arusha City Centre. The daycare is run by Nancy Nashilu our very trusted partner in our Community Outreach Group. She is the founder of three schools in remote villages and now has also taken over Mwanzo Daycare. Nancy is doing an incredible job and we are happy to support her with this new project.
Right now there are 23 kids between 1 and 5 years attending the daycare. Their mothers are working at the market and drop the kids at Mwanzo before going to work. They are not allowed to take their kids with them to the market – a new law that was introduced by the government a few years back, that’s why a daycare like Mwanzo is so important for the families in this area. Rather than leaving the children unattended at home their families know that their children have a save and loving space to stay during the day. The future plan is to more kids a safe place during daytime while the mothers are at the market.
Jitambue Kwanza
Jitambue Kwanza is a Daycare, Pre-School and
After-School-Center in Daraja Mbili, Arusha.
Elinaja, the founder and director of this Community Center was born and raised in this part of Arusha.
He is very talented in the field of arts and loves to paint. He has fully committed his time to his center.
Daraja Mbili is one of the poorest areas in Arusha and many children especially until the age of 5 or 6 years old don’t have a place to go and are mostly roaming around the streets while the parents are either at work or actively looking for work.
The streets of this neighbourhood are not a suitable place for the children, as violence, crime, alcoholism, drugs and a high risk of accidents are just some of the challenges the children face.
Elinaja knows these problems all too well and has long wanted to give something back to his community and especially the children of his community. Through his centre, he wants to enable them to be children, to play, to learn, to try things out
and to develop skills in a safe and secure environment.
In 2014, he registered his Daycare and since 2019, almost 100 children now attend his facility every day, which he runs on his family’s property.
Sinyati Daycare
Sinyati Daycare is a daycare, founded in 2023 by Mary, the director. It offers age-appropriate care for children whose families come from difficult economic and private backgrounds in Uswahilini, Arusha. Most parents or legal guardians of the children cannot afford to pay any fees or only pay low fees to the facility.
Volunteers can get involved in the following areas:
• Taking care of toddler and younger children (feeding, care, age appropriate learning etc.)
• Organizing special days/activities for small groups of children (e.g. playing games, singing, arts & crafts, drawing)
• English language lessons for Nursery (e.g. first numbers and letters, singing English songs, playful learning)
• Fundraisers and public relations (to cover running costs, needed teaching material)
Pamoja Tunalea Daycare & Pre-School
Pamoja is a Daycare and Pre-School located in Moshono, Arusha.
Penina is the founder and director of Pamoja Tunalea. She started this Daycare in August 2021 because she knows the struggles of growing up with no parents or any help and support in childhood. Her husband helps her to finance and support the project as well. When talking to Penina you recognize that she loves to take care of the children with all of her heart.
In the community surrounding the daycare center, some families are facing challenges in caring for their children due to work commitments and financial difficulties. To address this, the daycare provides a safe space where children can learn and be prepared for school. Many parents struggle financially and find it hard to manage both work and childcare.