Model Childcare Centres
Early Education 3-6 years

There are currently very few state run pre-school centres in Malawi. Those which are in existence are established by active community initiatives, either on a voluntary basis or privately run.
boNGO currently works with five Childcare Centres with a total of 475 children enrolled in 2023. These pre-schools are founded and run by the community and supported by boNGO in regards to funding, training and supervision.
Each centre is managed by a school committee, has 62 to 136 children and eight teachers. School days are from 8am to 12noon and include a nutritious meal for the children. Parents take care of the daily cooking and cleaning duties at the school and pay a minimal monthly contribution as a token of appreciation for the teachers.
Model Childcare Centres all share common distinctions over existing community school norms. These include:
-
A child-friendly building and playground
(the Malawi norm is a large class under a tree or in a church) -
Trained teachers who receive a regular allowance
(Community pre-school teachers have little formal teacher training) -
A child to teacher ratio of 10:1
(the Malawi norm is up to 100:1) - Serves as a training center for teachers from other schools
-
Offers daily nutritious food
(rarely available to state or community pre-school children) - Has parents involved in the center's operation and maintenance
- Some also act as a community center accommodating government activities, community meetings, under-five clinic services, education campaigns etc.

The centres are based on the Montessori teaching philosophy and incorporate the Montessori Curriculum. Their aim is to be an exemplar to inspire, while also providing teacher training and support to other interested schools. This is an example of a Model Childcare Centre lesson
This is an example of what we want to change with our work
This is an example of what we want to change with our work
In September 2024 we had 195 children graduating to the national Standard 1 across the five centres enabling them to start state primary school. A small Graduation Ceremony took place at each of the five centres.

Watch a six minute film covering boNGO activities on early education in Malawi (2011).
Watch a 6-minute film covering boNGO activities on early education in Malawi (2011).
Sponsor a pre-school teacher


There are 24 teachers working in the five pre-schools that boNGO supports.
Many of them have been working at their pre-schools for over 10 years, they are well trained and have vast experience both in class and in training other teachers too.
They are the essential foundation of boNGO’s Model Childcare centers and for this challenging job receive a monthly allowance, and not a proper salary.
Securing funds for our teachers is a challenge. Therefore we are calling on you.
With just $35 £26 a month you can cover the allowance and further training expenses of one of the 24 teachers. Through that support he/she will make a difference to the lives of the children in their community.
We thank you on behalf of the teachers from the Umodzi, Mango, Masuku, Chimwamwi and Nthayamwana pre-schools.
Please see Your Support for a breakdown of the costs to run a Model Childcare Centre.
Three of the five Childcare Centres operate from a child-friendly school block and grounds, and are so called Model Childcare Centres. The other two continue meeting under a tree or a local church, until funding for the construction of an appropriate building is found. We are actively looking for funding to help complete these final two projects. If you are interested in supporting us please contact us or click here for further information