Sustainable poverty amelioration through early life education in a peri-urban community of Lagos, Nigeria

Abstract

BackgroundDaycare centres/nurseries have become popular because of the need for working mothers to leave young children with caregivers. However, the high poverty level (54% relative and 35% extreme poverty) makes it difficult for disadvantaged parents to pay the high fees charged by the centres. This study describes an attempt to economically empower mothers through the organisation of free early life education in a peri-urban community in Lagos.ObjectivesThe aim of the study was to examine early life education for under-fives as a means of economic empowerment of mothers and sustainable poverty amelioration.MethodThe methodology included a non-randomised selection of 34 disadvantaged mothers by criteria, a prospective intervention utilising community resources to organise early childhood education, an in-depth interview of mothers, and observation of the outcomes over a 5-year period.ResultsThe result of the study showed that no mother preferred keeping a child older than three years at home. Access to early childhood education gave mothers opportunity to undergo vocational training (1, 2.8%) and take up new/additional jobs (12, 35.3%). All mothers and 32 (80%) of the participating families more than doubled their income, earning up to twenty thousand Naira (approximately $182) per month from the first year of participation. Finally, selection criteria and periodic assessment of immunisation/growth monitoring records of participants’ children improved compliance with primary health care service utilisation.ConclusionOrganisation of early childhood education had the potential for sustainable poverty amelioration through economic empowerment of mothers.

Reducing Stigma and Discrimination to Improve Child Health and Survival in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: Promising Approaches and Implications for Future Research

“…However, evidence from both low- and high-income countries demonstrates how poverty can significantly endanger the well-being of children and families (Yoshikawa, Aber, & Beardslee, 2012 ). For example, Abosede, Campbell, Okechukwu, Salako-Akande, and Onyenwenyi ( 2010 ) found that poverty makes it difficult for disadvantaged parents in Nigeria to pay the high fees charged by child development centers. Such early education centers have the promise for improving healthy child development through intensive stimulation and learning, and provide opportunities for poor mothers to gain income by working outside the home.…”