LITTLE ANGELS ACADEMIES
83% of the Youth accompanied by LP4Y are young women and young mothers. Peace of mind is one of the keys to the success of LP4Y training. In order for them to participate in the program 5 days a week, from 8am to 5pm, they need support in caring for their children. After their training, the young mothers (Alumni), who have found a decent job, still need this support.
To enable these young mothers to get out of extreme poverty and into the decent working world, LP4Y has deployed 6 Little Angels Academy (LAA) daycare centers:
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2 in the Philippines (Payatas and Tondo),
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1 in India (Chennai),
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1 in Nepal (Kathmandu).
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1 in Bangladesh (Bhashantek)
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1 in Indonesia (Cilincing)
Welcoming the children of excluded young parents
Located near the slums, the LAAs welcome the children of excluded young parents who wish to follow LP4Y training or who have joined the professional world.
Contributing to the education and development of children
Alongside the families, the LAA Catalysts actively contribute to the awakening and education of the children through multiple educational activities.
Advising and accompanying families
LAA Catalysts are also resource people for young parents in the following areas: Child Development & Behavior; Nutrition; Health & Wellness; Safety; Play & Learn
→ They give parents best practices and key strategies to support their child’s development.
Their mission is articulated around 3 main axes:
Young mothers generally have had little or no access to education. When it comes to raising their children, they reproduce the family pattern. Nevertheless, from a very young age, children have needs that must be taken into consideration in order to promote optimal development of the person at all levels: physical, cognitive, emotional and social. This growth process requires a healthy attachment to the parent figure and quality parent/child interactions.
Thus, the role of parents in the child's development becomes central. Parents must be able to respond adequately to their child's needs and accompany him/her at all stages of his/her development.
The LAAs are therefore :
A daycare center for the children of Excluded Young Parents willing to join the decent professional world. The children evolve in a healthy environment and a secure space gathering the best conditions for their development (kitchen, bathroom, nap room, playroom...)
A place with an educational project, a pedagogy adapted to the development and the awakening of the child (sports, creative, cultural and educational activities)
And a third ambition in 2022:
A resource-center for parents (advice and guidance in the following areas: hygiene, nutrition, health, safety and child development)
In order to provide the best advice and educational resources to parents, we believe it is essential to train our local employees, the LAA Catalysts, to develop their skills and knowledge on child health and development issues.
Lifelong learning is a fundamental right for all people, serving individual and collective emancipation. LP4Y wishes to make this right accessible to all LAA Catalysts.
The Little Angels Academies are also training and professional integration hubs for the LAA Catalysts
JUSTINE PRAT
LAA Project Manager
"The objective of the LAAs is twofold: to support the emancipation of young mothers and their inclusion in the professional world, and to accompany, alongside the families, the children in their development. Through multiple educational and pedagogical activities, children develop self-confidence and build their identity and self-esteem.
The LAAs aim to provide a quality living environment for the children as well as for the parents and local employees (the LAA Catalysts), taking care not to create too big a gap between the LAA and the children's living areas.
The health and safety of the children is a priority: a harmonious place and materials adapted to the children, 3 balanced meals a day, bath and nap time, as well as regular medical check-ups performed by partners."
TONDO - PHILIPPINES
In Tondo, the biggest slum in Manila, more than 40 Young Mothers aged 17-24 attend the Training & Development Center every day as they prepare their future. Little Angels Academy, which opened 6 years ago, provides child care to about 20 children while their Mothers are at training. Demand is on the rise and the LAA will soon be moving to new, bigger and better premises to offer improved conditions to the growing children.
MARY MAE BADIANA
Responsibility Step, Solareto Program
“I’m 19 and I have 2 boys: Florience (2) and Renlex (10 months). I joined Solareto in the Tondo LPC because I want to develop my skills and improve my English. I also want to give a better future to my two children. It is important for us Young Mothers to have a Little Angels Academy close to the Center. I’m really grateful because it allows me to go the LPC and my children are looked after, cared for and taught every day."
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PAYATAS - PHILIPPINES
The Payatas LPC opened in February 2018 near the rubbish dumps that many families call home, and soon there were about forty Young Women attending the programs, thanks to the creation of a Little Angels Academy in a newly renovated building close to the center.
ANARIZA CAJODO
Coordinator Little Angels Academies
“My name is Anariza S.Cajodo, I followed LP4Y training a few years ago in the TDC Tondo. I am now working as a LAA Leader for Tondo and Payatas in the Philippines. I am also a mother of three children. Little Angels Academies are seen as a bridge to allow the young mothers to be trained at LP4Y and join the decent professional world. While they are following the 6 months training, they can bring their children to the LAA where they can learn, have fun, and be safe. As a young mother, it is hard to trust people to take care of your child, we are concerned about their safety. We are happy and proud to have two LAAs in the Philippines with a safe environment.
Being a LAA Catalyst means taking care of the children, guiding them, teaching them to be more independent. When they are smiling and laughing, we feel very proud to be LAA Catalysts.”
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CHENNAI - INDIA
At the Chennai Training & Development Center, it quickly became apparent that a Little Angels Academy was needed for the Young Mothers who had no other child care solutions while they were in training. For the time being the Academy is in the TDC, but as soon as possible it will be transferred to a new building specially equipped for the children.
MUTHULAKSHMI SHANMUGAVEL
Management Step, Community Champions of Change
“My name is Muthulakshmi. I’m 22 years old and I have 2 children, Anish (3) and Ashni (1). I got married at 18. I was a maid, but I had to stop when I became pregnant. Before, I didn’t know how to organize child care, but LP4Y provided a solution for when I’m doing training. I am in Management Step now. When I go to work, I need someone to look after my children. Little Angels Academy will help me. They help me to change my life."
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KATHMANDU - NEPAL
As the Tinkune Training & Development Center welcomes only Young Women and Young Mums, a Little Angels Academy was essential. The Young women who join the program generally have one or more children and do not have anyone to take care of them during their absence. Thanks to the Tinkune Little Angels Academy, Young Mothers can drop off their children in a place that is specially geared towards the healthy development of children, where they enjoy healthy and balanced meals. LAA is managed by a Young Mother, assisted by other Young Women, every day, on a rotation system.
NIRMALA NAGAR
LAA Leader, Kathmandu
“My name is Nirmala Magar. I am working as a LAA Leader in the LAA Kathmandu in Nepal. When I started to work for the LAA, I was so happy because I love babies. I am also the mother of three children. I joined at the very beginning of the LAA Kathmandu project when we had a very small space for the babies and not a lot of materials.
Since then, we have made a lot of improvements, now we have a big playing room for babies to do activities, one separate sleeping room and decorations. We also hired a second LAA Catalyst to take care of all the babies. We are always working on improvements, and developing activities for the babies like fine motor skills activities, yoga or handcrafts. If there were not a LAA in our TDC, the young mother would have difficulties joining the training. Thanks to the LAA and the Catalysts working there, they can join LP4Y knowing that their babies are taken care of.”
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LAA - JAKARTA - INDONESIA
Little Angels Academy Cilincing in Indonesia is an LP4Y initiative to support young mothers in carrying out their training and/or career by providing childcare for children 0 to 5 years old. The daycare center opened in November 2021 and is located close to the LP4Y Training Development Center. The LAA is managed by a young woman who has followed the LP4Y training. The top priority is to provide children with educational activities to support their development in a safe and harmonious environment.
Katharina Stefania Ade Jar
LAA Leader, Jakarta
“In our Little Angels Academy, we make sure that every child can grow in a healthy environment, and can reach its full potential thanks to educational activities.
As a LAA Leader of a very recent LAA, my objectives are to make sure that the LAA is used at its full potential, meaning recruit more kids that can benefit from the LAA program as well as finding funds. I also support young mothers so they don’t worry about their kids when working or getting training sessions at LP4Y.”
LAA - DHAKA - BANGLADESH
The Little Angels Academy opened in September 2021 in Dhaka, a city of Bangladesh located nearby the biggest slum in Bhashantek. This LAA opened recently after the opening of the LP4Y TDC at the demand of young mothers who are very interested to join LP4Y and also very concerned about their career. LAA Catalysts are providing daily childcare for 0-3 years old children. This LAA is managed by one young mother with the help of LP4Y youths.
NASRIN AKTER
LAA Catalyst, Dhaka
“In our Little Angels Academy, we make sure that the babies are safe and we build a trust relationship with the parents. Recently, we rented a big flat for our LAA in the same building as the LP4Y TDC of Dhaka. Step by step, we are creating a little paradise for children and parents in the middle of the slum area. Children are drinking purified water, and eating healthy meals three times a day. This LAA is quite recent but we are trying to implement a modern and educational system of childcare.”
