Ensuring Access to Quality Early Childhood Education

How Vulnerability Assesments Drive Opportunities for All

Early childhood development (ECD) programs form the foundations for lifelong learning and development. In Malawi, a nation rich in cultural diversity but faced with significant developmental challenges, the importance of ECD is undeniable. Yet, access to quality ECD is still limited. As recent as 2022, only 34% of children aged 3.6 to 5.9 years attended early childhood education in Malawi. Those programs also grapple with significant gaps in resources and infrastructure.


The situation is even more critical in rural areas with limited access to education. Many children begin school without the necessary cognitive and social skills required for success, which can have an enduring effect on their academic and personal development. In addition, socioeconomic factors like poverty and parental illiteracy prevent families from adequately supporting their children's educational needs.

 “Our team conducts vulnerability assessments and research by visiting families door-to-door in their communities.  This helps us understand the children's backgrounds and build trust from the start, ensuring we don't miss anyone who needs our services."

- Chikondi Likoswe - Sparkle Monitroing & Evaluation Officer

To help bridge the gap, The Sparkle Foundation provides free ECD services to children aged between 2.5 and 5.9 years old in the 18 villages of T/A Mwambo and 12 other villages of T/A Mkapita in Zomba District. These services are aimed at supporting children who might otherwise be left behind.

 

The Sparkle Foundation enrollment process for our ECD programs begins with a vulnerability assessment of households. This helps us to identify and support children from the most vulnerable homes who face barriers to accessing quality ECD programs. Local committee representatives identify potential candidates, and our team visits these households to interview parents or guardians using a structured questionnaire.

 

The questionnaire gathers detailed information on demographics, including family health, economic conditions, and home environment. This data is then used to calculate vulnerability scores, which guide us in prioritising children for enrolment. Through this process, we can identify vulnerable children and gain insight into their living conditions, needs, and challenges. Once enrolled, children advance through four classroom stages in our Early Childhood Development (ECD) program, preparing them for entry into primary school.

We adopt a comprehensive approach to delivering our program by empowering parents to actively support their children's learning, particularly in rural areas where literacy levels and formal education are limited. To address these challenges, we have implemented an Adult Literacy program, equipping parents and community members with essential literacy skills to better assist their children's education.

 
By delivering continuous professional development to our teachers, supported by Cognita school group, we equip them with the skills to cater to different learning styles. This ensures that all children thrive as we integrate the Malawi government's ECD curriculum with the Montessori approach.

 

The future of Malawi’s children depends on the quality of education they receive today. As we expand our reach and improve our programs, we invite partners, supporters, and the broader community to join us in this important journey. Together, we can unlock the potential of every child, creating brighter futures for them and laying a stronger foundation for Malawi as a whole.

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Menstrual Health Management (MHM) for Teenage Girls in Malawi: Breaking the Cycle of Period Poverty

By Priyani Gangopadhyay • June 13, 2025
By: Priyani Gangopadhyay In light of the recent World Menstrual Hygiene Day celebrated on 28th May 2025 under the theme "Together for a Period-Friendly World," I have written this article to share what I’ve learnt about the hardships teenage girls in Malawi face when it comes to managing their menstrual hygiene, how it impacts their dignity, daily lives, education, and the inspiring work being done to support them. Growing up in a high-income country, I, like most teenage girls, have always had easy access to things like sanitary pads, girls' toilets, and cleaning facilities—necessities we often take for granted during our periods. Sadly, for countless teenage girls in low-income countries like Malawi, these basic needs for managing their periods are simply out of reach. My understanding of this situation significantly deepened after speaking with senior members of The Sparkle Foundation Team. Joshua Ojiezele (Volunteer Coordinator) and Vanessa Hamilton (Project Co-ordinator) kindly shared invaluable insights. I also had the opportunity to speak with Frances Chisi (Community Officer) and Dr Sibongile Ndala (Clinician) who work directly with children in rural Malawi. What I heard from them deeply moved me, and I spent considerable time conducting my own research to truly grasp the heartbreaking realities. Understanding Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) Menstruation is a natural biological process experienced by the girls and adult women of reproductive age. Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) refers to how they access, use, and dispose of menstrual products safely and hygienically during their periods. Proper MHM is not merely about comfort and cleanliness; inadequate MHM can lead to severe health consequences such as urinary tract infections, genital tract infections, and skin diseases in private areas.2 Furthermore, MHM is intrinsically linked to general health, mental well-being, educational attainment, dignity, and self-esteem, making it not only essential but also a basic human right. Effective MHM means having access to: Menstrual hygiene materials such as sanitary pads, tampons, menstrual caps or clean cloths. Supportive supplies such as soap, clean underwear and pain relief medicines. WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) infrastructure providing clean toilets, clean water, washing areas. Education and awareness around menstrual health and hygiene which are vital for breaking taboos and promoting safe practices.

The Art of Teaching: What Every Early Childhood Educator Needs to Make a Lasting Impact

By chimwemwe gawa • June 6, 2025
Teaching really is an art. It’s not just about passing on knowledge, it’s about nurturing curiosity, guiding young minds and helping to shape the future. And in Early Childhood Development, or ECD, this couldn’t be more true. These early years are when children begin to discover who they are and how the world works. What they learn – and how they’re taught – can have a lasting impact on the rest of their lives. To make that impact count, ECD teachers need more than just passion. They need the right skills, the right mindset, and the willingness to grow alongside the children they teach. Here are a few key areas every ECD teacher should embrace to make a real, lasting difference. Creating A Supportive And Well-Managed Classroom Every child deserves to feel safe, valued and inspired when they step into the classroom. Good classroom management doesn’t mean being strict for the sake of it, it means creating an environment where children feel confident to explore and express themselves. It’s about clear routines, mutual respect and a lot of patience. Children thrive when they know what to expect and feel secure in their surroundings. And when the classroom feels calm and consistent, learning becomes something joyful rather than stressful. At this stage of life, it's not just about what they learn, but how they feel while they’re learning. A positive classroom can build confidence, resilience and a genuine love for education..
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