Congo Brazzaville is strengthening its efforts to provide vulnerable households with access to quality childcare through the Social Protection and Productive Inclusion of Youth Project (PSIPJ), financed by the World Bank in partnership with the Ministry of Social Affairs (MASSAH). The project aims to create safe and affordable childcare environments while exploring opportunities for vulnerable women to become childcare entrepreneurs, enabling them to generate income while contributing to early childhood development.
To ensure quality, the project provides a four-month early childhood training program for women, covering early childhood development, life skills, and entrepreneurship. Trainees also complete a three-week internship in public nurseries and receive ongoing coaching, mentoring, and regular visits from trained coaches to ensure standards are maintained.
Child safety is a major priority, with safeguarding experts regularly inspecting childcare spaces. Women mamapreneurs are trained in first aid, fire safety, child protection, and gender-based violence (GBV) prevention. Emergency action plans are posted in the nurseries, and measures such as a toll-free GBV hotline, emergency kits, fire extinguishers, school insurance, and pediatrician partnerships are implemented or planned.
To make childcare affordable, the project utilizes free or low-rent public spaces, provides conditional cash transfers to cover basic needs, supports income-generating activities for women, and donates bulk porridge to nurseries. Some childcare materials are also self-produced by the mamapreneurs.
Key stakeholders involved in the initiative include the implementing partner MEDRAC Africa, the Project Management Unit of the Lisungi Parental Project, World Bank safeguards experts, local fire brigades, pediatricians, toll-free hotline operators, and NSIA Insurance. Together, these efforts aim to create accessible, high-quality, and safe childcare options while empowering women as entrepreneurs and strengthening social protection for vulnerable families.
