<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: Palatino;">Aspire is a women cooperative founded by Peace Ruzage in 2007 and supported by Network 4 Africa. It offers a 12-month training programme, teaching between 50 and 75 vulnerable women a year how to read and write, as well as basic English, nutrition and cookery, and a vocational skill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>When they have completed the training, the women become members of income generating co-operatives, where they produce and sell necklaces, greetings cards, vegetables, eggs, goats and chickens.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp;</span></span><span style="font-family: Palatino;">Women enrolled at Aspire bring their babies who are still breast-feeding with them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>Problems arise when older toddlers are present, distracting their mothers from learning and working. There is the need for a nursery where children can be properly looked after while their mothers are working.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Palatino;">Network 4 Africa is raising funds to build a nursery on Aspire grounds. The nursery will cost &pound;4 per week per child and it will offer:</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Palatino;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36.5pt; text-indent: -18.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.5pt;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">&middot;<span style="font: 7.0pt &amp;amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;amp;quot;;">&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;</span></span></span><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: Palatino;">They will be given an early step up in life by being part of a pre-school educational programme</span><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt &amp;amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;amp;quot;;">:&nbsp;</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Palatino;">language and literacy; social and emotional learning; numeracy and problem solving; creativity including music and art; nature and the environment, including growing cultivating a small kitchen garden; sport and physical games.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36.5pt; text-indent: -18.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.5pt;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">&middot;<span style="font: 7.0pt &amp;amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;amp;quot;;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: Palatino;">They will have two nutritious meals a day.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36.5pt; text-indent: -18.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.5pt;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">&middot;<span style="font: 7.0pt &amp;amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;amp;quot;;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: Palatino;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp;</span>Their mothers will be able to study and work uninterrupted, learning the skills and earning the funds to feed and educate their children, thus breaking the cycle of poverty.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36.5pt; text-indent: -18.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.5pt;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">&middot;<span style="font: 7.0pt &amp;amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;amp;quot;;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: Palatino;">Older sisters will be able to go to school, rather than looking after their younger siblings.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36.5pt; text-indent: -18.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.5pt;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">&middot;<span style="font: 7.0pt &amp;amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;amp;quot;;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: Palatino;">Some mothers will be trained as support workers, learning valuable parenting skills in addition to ensuring continuity and sustainability for the nursery.</span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Palatino;">Help Netwrok 4 Africa give children a safe enviroment where they can learn and they can have a chance in then attending primary school.</span></p>