Limika Home Learning Center: Nurturing Minds, Building Futures

Limika Home Learning Center: Nurturing Minds, Building Futures

A class session under-a-tree at Limika Home Learning Center facilitated by caregiver Onzia Rabi. The center facilitates learning for over 120 children (Photo Credit: Jonathan Ssekitondo) 

45 kms from Yumbe town in the under-served village of Limika, Romogi sub-county, you will find one of the most engaging under-a-tree classrooms. Led by Onzia Rabi, a dedicated 22-year-old teacher, who is passionate about educating young children, the class, characterized by singing and dancing, is quite popular with children under six years.

Started in 2023 after a meeting between the Literacy and Adult Basic Education (LABE), a consortium member under Kulea Watoto, and the community leaders, Limika Home Learning Center currently serves 120 learners between the ages 03-05 years.
Onzia was identified by community leaders to be the parent educator at the center. She had presented with the highest level of education in the community and was able to undergo training in Care for Child Development (CCD), thanks to support from LABE.

Radi Onzia, the caregiver at the Limika Home Learning Center. Thanks to training from LABE, Onzia was equipped with training that has allowed to provide quality education to children from host and refugee communities. (Photo Credit: Jonathan Ssekitondo)

Equipped with the CCD training, which enables caregivers to facilitate learning interactions at Early Childhood Development (ECD) Centers, Onzia provides quality education to the children from the host and refugee communities at the learning center. Despite facing numerous challenges, with limited resources being one of the most significant hurdles, she is not deterred from finding innovative solutions to ensure that the children under her care develop literacy and numeracy skills, school readiness, self-confidence, socialization, communication, and problem-solving abilities.   

“I have the support of all parents in the community to ensure that children have play material,” she says. “They happily provide locally made balls, ropes which the children use. LABE also trained us on making play material from local by-products, so we improvise with plastic bottles, bottle caps, and sticks collected from the community to ensure children have recreation tools for learning and playing.”

Children take time off to play at Limika Home Learning Center. The center provided space for children in the under-served communities to learn and play and have the best start in life. (Photo Credit: Jonathan Ssekitondo)

Despite the heavy workload, Onzia remains devoted to her work. She firmly believes that every child deserves a quality education and is determined to do everything within his means to provide it.

Children take time off to play at Limika Home Learning Center. The center provided space for children in the under-served communities to learn and play and have the best start in life. (Photo Credit: Jonathan Ssekitondo)

"My learners are brilliant, confident children. They always remember what I have taught them the previous day. They can sing, count, relate, and support each other. It is fulfilling every time I see them doing that,” she says.

Through her dedication and hard work, Onzia positively impacts the lives of the children in her care. Her passion for teaching and commitment to the children serve as an inspiration to all who know her.

Asna Gadai, 34 is a parent at the Limika Home Learning Center. She had given up on taking her children in nursery school because she could not afford the fees at centers in Yumbe town. The distance too was another obstacle. She is grateful for the change the has had on her children.

Asna Gadai with her children who go to Limika Home Learning Center. Asna is proud of the work at the learning center that provides affordable learning for her children, in an area that is close to her home. (Photo Credit: Jonathan Ssekitondo)

“I have two children at this school, one is 03 years, and the other is 05 years. Previously, what children did was play the whole day and do odd work like fetching water and firewood because the nearest nursery is very far. Limika has changed the lives of our children. They can count, speak English, sing, easily relate with their siblings at home, have good table manners, and they know who to use the latrines. I am proud to see my children prosper and I am excited for what will come,” she says.

The learning center has equally had a far-reaching positive impact on the community. Salim Waiga, the Chairman of the school’s Center Management Committee speaks with pride as he stresses the benefits of “a school under a tree” has had to their community.

Salim Waiga sits in front of the school structure that has been built thanks to support from parents. He credits the unity in the community to the home learning center which is keeping parents together.  (Photo Credit: Jonathan Ssekitondo)

“Unity,” he says. “We used to be a volatile community with many wrangles among the people. But for some reason, having these children at the same school learning and parents fully engaged in the operation of the school, we are now one people. We work together to resolve our differences and uplift each other.It is a peaceful community here.”

The parents are currently constructing a building that will house their children. Waiga says this is a testimony of how far they have come as a center, and how far they can go.

“Learning is interrupted when it rains and children end up missing class. We want to solve this problem. I am happy that parents are working together with the CMC to put up this building so that we can shift learning into a proper shelter,” he says.

For parents in this area, many of whom are peasant farmers who cannot afford to travel 45 KMs a day to take their children to school, the Limika Home Learning School is a true sanctuary and space of both safety and stimulation for their children. As a project, Kulea Watoto believes that early learning and development opportunities provide children with the best springboard in life and help them to grow up to be healthy, happy adults; and that the innovative and collaborative approach of the Limika Home Learning Center helps expand such opportunities for young children - one ECD center under-a-tree at a time.