Zakhia's Story: Founder of a Daycare Center in Togo

 Even when I was little, I used to say, “I want to build an orphanage and help children.” In the end, I studied to become a certified laboratory technician and environmental technician.

When I had my daughter, it was tough. She wasn’t easy. And I kept asking myself: How can I help her? I thought it over and finally decided to quit my job to devote myself to her. I knocked on the door of a daycare center to see how they took care of the children. I wanted to do an internship. They accepted me for six months. I ended up staying there for two years. I learned on the job. They had 30 children. That’s where I first came up with the idea of starting a daycare center. But I didn’t feel ready to take the plunge.

My sister sent me a message about the training program offered by BNCE and Planète Enfants & Développement. I submitted my application, went through the selection process, and started the training. I was stressed: I hadn’t been in school for a long time, and I had my daughter. I was afraid it would be very academic, but it was actually very interactive. That’s what really motivated us. It was great: we worked in small groups, which helped us bond. Then we went on our field placements. I worked at three different facilities, including one home-based daycare. I learned what to do—and what not to do!

At the same time, I was looking for a space for my project. It took me over two months to find a space near my home. Little by little, I began the renovations. I ran into some unexpected challenges along the way: higher-than-expected costs, especially for the interior design. I wanted to do a good job and make a good impression on the parents, too. My husband helped me out.

I opened my business in July of last year. I run a daycare center and provide occasional daycare services. I charge on a monthly basis. Sometimes a child might stay with Grandma for a month or with a parent when that parent is working fewer hours. The number of children in my care varies from month to month—between 5 and 8 at the moment. But we can accommodate up to 16, plus the cribs.

I gave birth two months ago, and I’ve lost some children since then. Well, I’m not paying myself a salary yet: I have to pay the rent, the mortgage, and the nannies. It’s not always easy.

But the parents are happy. Léo*, for example, who was so shy at first, was dancing during the activity the other day. Some parents tell me they need screens to get their kids to eat. Here, screens are not allowed, and the kids eat well. But I tell them: it’s not like at home here. The child isn’t alone. He has time to play. When a child comes here, he isn’t just being watched—he does activities and is with other kids.

The training was very beneficial for me. The group of trained child care providers and I help each other out a lot. Before, we did our internships the old-fashioned way. Now, we have courses we can refer back to. I really enjoyed the first aid training module, for example. I didn’t know any of that before. All childcare professionals who haven’t received training should at least know how to perform first aid.

We need more trained childcare workers. We can see that a lot of women are working. We’re getting more and more requests. People don’t really trust in-home nannies anymore. I’ve seen it firsthand: there really is a difference between being trained and not being trained.