UK charity seeks volunteers for Malawi children's centre

UK volunteers to train childcare workers for the new centre are being sought by the Krizevac Project.

George Furnival, UK project-co-ordinator, who used to work as a children's centre manager in Stoke-on-Trent, said, 'In the same way that children's centres break down barriers to accessing services, we want this centre to be at the proper heart of the community.

'There's a pressing need for training. We're looking for people able to adapt their skills and knowledge, ideally expert childcare providers or experienced childcare trainers, who can take an 18-month sabbatical or are just retiring.

'Most of all, they will need to be determined, creative and driven - they have the opportunity to transform the lives of hundreds of children.'

Trainers will join a children's centre operations manager and a team of volunteers. Accommodation and expenses are provided.

The Malawian government is interested in adopting the training nationally. The only childcare training currently available is a two-week course to become a teacher for under-fives.

Design work has already started on the Chilomoni Children's Centre, set to open next April and offer 250 childcare places for children aged from six months to six years, alongside health services and family support.

The charity has built a school for 2,000 children and runs social enterprise businesses in Chilomoni, a township just outside Blantyre, Malawi's largest city. They include a bicycle workshop, internet cafe, IT training college and a business that loans computer equipment to schools and hospitals.

The charity has been supporting a small nursery which will have links with the new centre.

Ms Furnival said, 'We've managed to raise funds and send equipment and resources from links with children's centres in the UK. When I first visited there were 125 children in one room, with no equipment, toilets, running water or space to play. Volunteers have started to deliver some basic training, mainly concentrating on health and well-being. The improvements are immense, but there is a long way to go.'

- Contact george.furnival@krizevac.org or phone 0845 003 6004 for more information. To apply, e-mail a letter stating reason for interest, relevant skills, experience and qualifications (including details of previous overseas work) by 31 May. Successful candidates must be able to travel in September. See also www.krizevac.org.