GETTING A
BY HANNAH WHITE
HEAD START
NECESSARY AND
CONSTRUCTIVE
The World Bank reports Tajikistan’s
population is close to 8 million.
Additionally, several million people,
mostly men, are estimated to work
outside the country. Residents of
one of the poorest nations in the
world, Tajiks frequently look for
employment in neighboring countries
such as Russia. With so many men
gone, mothers sometimes are left
to raise children alone. Childcare is
essential for many of these women.
Consequently, early childhood
development programs are popular
with mothers who have children
between the ages of 2 and 5.
12 | JOURNEY OF HOPE
M
ahbuba Qurbonalieva is in her
30s and wears her hair conservatively, tied back in a ponytail
with the shorter ends tucked behind her
ears. She is not a big talker, but when she
does say something her words are chosen
carefully and delivered with confidence.
Her gaze has power behind it, though you
will never hear her acknowledge it. Instead
she’ll casually wave her hand, as if she were
brushing the comment aside. Any air of authority she might possess, she’ll tell you,
comes from her being the mother to two
small children.
Her young boy, age 5, and little girl, age
3, are a lot of work. Always on the move,
it is difficult for their mother to contain or
focus their energy. But Mahbuba knows
that they will slow down and grow up soon
enough.
“Children grow so quickly,” she says.
“One day I will blink and they will be
adults. But now is such an important time
in their lives. They notice everything, are
curious about everything. It may not look
like it, because they never sit still — could
never sit at a desk or read a big book — but
it is the perfect time for them to learn. They
are like sponges soaking up knowledge.”
As the country director for Central Asia
Institute-Tajikistan (CAIT), Mahbuba
understands the importance of education
in a child’s life, especially during the early
childhood period.
The years before children start school
are crucial to their physical, cognitive, and
emotional development. Mahbuba has
seen it firsthand in her many years working
with CAI to promote education.
“Neurological research shows that the
early years play a key role in children’s brain
development,” Mahbuba said. “I believe
that high-quality education and care of the
very young is crucial for development of
the whole child and the future adult.”
Many experts extol the benefits of Head
Start programs and endorse a holistic approach to education, citing the potential
positive impact it can have on a person’s
physical, social, and emotional health
throughout their life.
The World Health Organization
(WHO), for example, reports healthy early
childhood development (ECD) programs
CENTRAL ASIA INSTITUTE