Coming from a modest home , Moheed spent the first years of his life close to his mother Zaheera , observing her daily routines and responsibilities , and testing the limits of his quickly developing skills . Although this time together was precious , Zaheera was determined to give Moheed a strong start to his education , which meant searching for an early childhood center ( preschool ) in which he could enroll .
In Gilgit-Baltistan , like many parts of the world , early childhood education and care is in short supply . Despite strong evidence of the benefits of early learning and development opportunities , preschool remains underfunded and undervalued compared to other stages of the educational journey . While there is a great deal that parents and caregivers can do to support this period of rapid cognitive and physical development , balancing these demands with work , maintaining the home , and other caring responsibilities makes it challenging .
THE STORY IS IN THE DATA
The fertility rate in Gilgit-Baltistan is 4.6 children per woman , so parents and families must manage the care of multiple children at many different stages of development . The data show the precarious nature of this situation . According to a 2017 report from UNICEF 1 , more than 27 % of Gilgit-Baltistan children aged 3 to 5 had been left in the care of another child under the age of 10 in the past week . The same report showed that close to 40 % of children aged 3 to 5 in the region were not on track in at least four major developmental categories , including literacy-numeracy , physical , social-emotional , and learning .
Further investigation revealed that families lacked many of the basic resources needed to supply an enriching learning environment at home . Only 6 % of children 3 to 5 years old had access to three or more books at home , and only 31 % reported having a caregiver engage the child in a learning activity in the prior week . Looking at fathers ’ involvement in learning activities specifically , the rate was abysmal , at just 2 %.
Zaheera knew what she was up against , but also had a clear vision for her son ’ s educational journey . Although she did not have the opportunity to attend preschool herself as a child , she had taken the time to learn about its benefits . It was both validating and delightful to see these benefits come to life when Moheed started at his new school .
“ I took a leap of faith and enrolled my son in the Early Childhood Development Center , Dain ,” said Zaheera . “ Within a remarkably short period , I observed positive changes in my son ’ s behavior . He has started to develop good habits , such as organizing his belongings , greeting others with respect , brushing his teeth regularly , and neatly folding his clothes .”
2023-2024 JOURNEY OF HOPE | 15