Introduction
The Association of Pre-schools Playgroups in Malawi is an indigenous charitable non-governmental organisation registered in Malawi under the Trustees Act CAP 5:03 of the Laws of Malawi. It was established in 1970 inorder to assist children espeically those from low income families who could not afford to pay high fees in private Early Childhood Development and Care Centres. Since its establishment it has undertaken a number of Early Childhood Development (ECD) programmes which specifically aim at transmission of social values, development of interlligence, personality and social behavior and to a large extent setting a foundaton for a good start in life.
Since the Association is an umbrella for ECD programmes in the country and it being government's major partner in the implementation of the programmes, it serves both community and privately owned pre-schools.
The Association has its own offices in Ndirande, next to Blantyre Girls Primary school. It also runs its own Pre-school.
APPM Offices in Ndirande
The first Pre-school was started in 1966 at Blantyre Mission by a wife of a Scottish Missionary, Pasty Colvin. In 1969 the University of Malawi organised a seminar on "commencing Action Towards Urban Development Urban Development", "Preschool as a Focus for Community Action". As a follow up to the seminar social workers and teachers joined forces, mobilsed communities and facilitated formation of 9 Pre-schools in Blantyre. On 3rd October, 1970 the Association of Pre-school Playgroups in Malawi was inaugurated, with the following:-
The Mission Statement of the Association is to facilitate the provision of physical, social, emotional and itellectual stimulation throgh establishment of Early Childhood Development Centres to serve children especially those from low income families in the vital early years of their children's lives.
The major objectives of the APPM is to
facilitate the provision of Early Childhood Development
and Care services to as many Malawian
children as possible.
Specific
Objectives
It has also trained over 1,500 Early
Childhood Development personnel from both community and
private ECD centres.
St Pius ECD Centre
The APPM works hand in hand with the Ministry
of Women, Youth and Community Services and
all organisations and individuals working
in the field of ECDC.
Amongst the developments that have taken place since 1995 are
(a) The training of 4
Core trainers in experiential and participatory method of teaching/
learning.
(b) The training of 46 National Trainers
(c) The production of a draft ECD policy
(d) The production of a draft ECD syllabus
(e) The production of a draft ECD teachers guides
(f) The production of a draft ECD TOT Manual
(g) The production of a draft ECD Messages
(h) The production of a Special Needs Handbook on inclusive schooling at pre-school level
The documents have been produced with technical
and financial assistance from UNICEF,
UNESCO, GOM/UNDP 5th Country programme,
MIE, Montfort College.
The APPM has no stable donor, over the
years it has been depending on donations in cash/kind
fundraising activities, membership fees
and a grant from the government which was being given
on quarterly basis. The grant has stopped.
In some cases the Association has obtained funds from UNICEF and UNESCO for specific projects.
Priority
Areas
Trained
Teachers/Caregivers
| Year
1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 Total |
Number of Leaders
|
 |
1997 - 25,640 children, 1,282 teachers, 751 pre-schools
Concerns
Poor standards of operation:
A lot of ECD centres have mushroomed as a result the exact number
of the centres is not known and it is
very difficult to make supervisory visits hence a lot of the centres
are operating with untrained ECD personnel,
lack of equipment, under unhealthy conditions and charge
high fees since they are business
minded. Most of the ECD centres emphasis on speaking English and
living out cultural and developmental
activities. There is also lack of information. Communities
are not
aware of what a good ECD centre should
be like, so they send their children to any ECD centre.
Lack of commitment by Government:
Government has not recognised ECD as a priority area
hence there is no special allocation of
funds for ECD programmes.
To diversify ECD services to cater for all age groups of 0 - 8 years.
To upgrade the standards of operation of
ECD programmes through the use of the syllabus and
the teachers guides.
To influence the government to produce
a final copy of the ECD policy and to allocate funding
for ECD programmes.
To solicit funding for training of all ECD personnel in the country.
To promote networking at District, Regional
and National level.
| Mr M M Msosa
Hon J Mpasu Mr B P Bande Mr J J Kamwendo Mr J Chagwa Mrs L Makawa Ms Mary Padambo Mrs Mary Saukila |
1st Vice President
2nd Vice President Treasurer Board Member Board Member Board Member Board Member Board Member |
- Pasty Colvin - Edinburgh Scotland wife of a Scottish Missionary, late Rev. Tom Colvin.
- Ronald Mbekeani - Social
Worker by profession, former Executive Director of Malawi Council for the
Handicapped.
- Mr Kampayi - former Education Secretary of the Archidiocese of the Epsicopal Conference - Blantyre
- The first person to work full time to the APPM was Sister Francisca Hol from 1972 - 1981
- Ms Mary Christina Padambo
is the Executive Secretary for thee APPM. She is an Educator.
| Chalizamudzi Elizabeth Matola | Trainer |
| Lucia Sazuze | Pre-school Organiser |
| Jane Kathewera | Pre-school Organiser |
| Elsie Kumwembe | Pre-school Organiser |
| Ndiuzaani Makina | Secretary/Bookkeepper |
| John Banda | Accountant |
| Rosemary Dambe | Tailor |
Chalizamudzi Elizabeth Matola
- ECDTraining Officer. |
SUPPORT STAFF
| Mary Kunsauka
Elizabeth Asidi Harry Chikopa Pearson Andrew George Chimimba James Kananji Limbani Phoya |
| Content obtained from APPM | © Malawi SDNP |