Early stimulation spaces

This is influenced by multiple causes: poverty, poor nutrition for children and their mothers, high prevalence of diseases, lack of hygiene and sanitation, and early and close pregnancies.
Recognising the critical importance of the first years of life, Help a Child Burundi, with funding from UNICEF, has established Early stimulation spaces in Gitega and Kayanza. Early stimulation spaces were created to provide children aged up to 5 years old with opportunities for appropriate early developmental stimulation.

These community spaces welcome parents and equip them with essential knowledge on proper nutrition, starting during pregnancy and continuing with recommended feeding practices from a child’s first six months to fifty-nine months. Parents also receive training on hygiene, child protection, and the role of play in supporting cognitive, physical, social, and emotional development.
To ensure sustainability and ownership of the community, Help a Child, in collaboration with local authorities, established community committees responsible for overseeing the Early stimulation space, training parents, and organizing play-based learning activities. These committees also play an active role in reinforcing community involvement and encouraging parents to actively promote the well-being of their children at home.