Early Childhood Education Malawi, Balaka District, Southern Region

Andiamo runs four Early Childhood Development Centres in Balaka District, which together offer one of the few truly accessible early childhood education options for low‑income families in the area. Each weekday, more than 600 children aged roughly three to five years come to these centres, where they find a safe, welcoming place to learn, play, and receive at least one nutritious meal, even in seasons when food is scarce at home. In the last quarter of 2025, the centres enrolled 689 children, and in the first quarter of 2026 they continued to serve 625 children every day, confirming both the strong demand and the consistency of the service.

The programme’s aim is to give children from the most vulnerable households a strong start in life, so they arrive in primary school better prepared and more confident. Andiamo employs 24 teachers and over 40 support staff across the four centres, including cooks, security guards, and caregivers, ensuring that each site is not only a learning space but also a safe, well‑run environment where children are known by name and their daily needs are cared for. In recent years the organisation has invested in strengthening the quality of these nursery schools through intensive teacher training on child‑centred, play‑based methods, so that children can learn through games, songs, stories, and locally made materials rather than only traditional rote instruction.

By combining safe spaces, nutrition, trained and motivated teachers, and a low‑cost or free model for families who could not otherwise pay fees, the Early Childhood Education Programme gives young children in Balaka a fairer chance from their earliest years. The programme helps children build early language, numeracy, and social skills, while also giving parents confidence that their sons and daughters are safe, learning, and receiving regular meals. Step by step, this foundation contributes to better primary school readiness, reduced dropout, and a stronger pathway toward a life of dignity, knowledge, and opportunity.