The Mother Teresa Children‘s Centre is the first of its kind in Malawi to be based on the UK Sure Start model. We are helping to transform the lives of hundreds of families and help children to have the best possible start in life.

There is day care for up to 175 children a year, with UK staffing and space ratios. Many of these children are orphans, or particularly vulnerable and receive their care completely free of charge. Others pay monthly fees because their parents work. Whether fee paying or free, all children are treated the same at Mother Teresa and all children have the opportunity to lead their own learning through play in a supportive, creative and caring environment.

All Early Childhood Practitioners have completed a full year of training and qualified with their Diploma in Early Years Education and Professional Childcare. We provide a comprehensive outreach service, bringing preventative child protection to the community for the first time. There are facilities for early years healthcare provision including baby weighing and vaccination clinics, giving parents and children the opportunity to also access other centre services such as stay and play groups while they are keeping their family healthy.

The centre is situated on the newly developed campus of enterprise and learning: along with the primary school, an IT Training Istitute and small social-enterprise units, parents are able to train and work supported by access to subsidised childcare places and knowing their children are safe. The building was designed purposefully to enable any agency who shares our vision to work together, share information and learn from each other and we help to train others in the community who care for young children.

Between January 2012 to March 2015, over 10,000 families accessed support from Mother Teresa Children‘s Centre. Special thanks to all those who sponsor a childcare place for an orphan or vulnerable child. Every child who is sponsored has a full time place in our nursery including three healthy meals a day; this makes a huge difference to the life of some of the neediest children in Malawi.