Charmaine Mangion won big at the Business Woman of the Year Awards, winning Young Businesswoman of the Year while her childcare business won the Company Award for Excellence in the Promotion of Women in Business.

Speaking to WhosWho.mt, Ms Mangion said she did not expect to win anything this year, especially since she had already won the previous year, and more so since “there are so many competent women in business today”.

“Being nominated is already an achievement, let alone being awarded!”

Asked how she feels about the recognition, Ms Mangion strikes a pensive tone at first.

“It made me pause and realise how much one can achieve when combining knowledge, determination and hard work.”

“But it also makes me feel empowered as a woman, and it motivates me to further enhance the potential of women in society.”

She refers to the dearth of females in business, politics and high management positions, which she feels is due to women still being underestimated.

That is not slowing her down though, as she prepares to open a third Magic Castle Child Care Centre. Magic Castle is unique in Malta as it abides by the holistic educational philosophy developed by Rudolf Steiner, known today as the Waldorf system.

We ask Ms Mangion what exactly is Waldorf, and how it differs from standard childcare.

“The Waldorf approach is a holistic approach which gives early years pedagogy an innovative twist. Art, music, drama, yoga and more are adapted to the needs of young children and from these adapted activities we foster development in language, cognitive, physical and social milestones.”

She continues, “Our approach is all about the freedom of the child, outdoor and nature. Rather than, as is done traditionally, the child needing to adapt to the approach, Waldorf works the other way round. It gives each child opportunities to discover their interests and start to get in touch with their uniqueness.”

Magic Castle advertises itself as a no-technology environment, referring to modern technology that involves screens, like tablets or TVs. Why is this important for children?

“Children in today’s world have enough exposure to screen time from birth! At our centres it is all about the child, providing calming and neutral environments and a safe space where the child gets to create and think.”

“Screen time limits the ability to do so, since the child is always following and never creating.”

The resources at Magic Castle Centres are also open ended, as well as being wooden, natural or organic.

“This means that, for instance, we have pine cones and wooden blocks, rather than a phone toy. The wooden block can be interpreted from the child’s mind, not from the toy. Hence the block can be a phone, a plane, a magic wand... anything the child imagines at that instance!”

Turning back to the business side, we bring up her beginnings. With the third centre on the way, it is evident that she managed to find a gap in the market that she is now filling to great success. How did she identify it?

“Working in the early years and education sector from 2014, I had been made aware that the education system needs to be amended in certain areas. When speaking to other educators, many of them also parents, we were always looking for something different. Things that match up to what we studied, what we read and see happening abroad.”

“It thus became clear that locally we need services which offer these types of educational approaches that reach out to the child in a holistic manner that includes their mind, body and soul.”

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic playing havoc with businesses of all kinds, Ms Mangion calls the reopening of childcare centres back in June “a total success”, attributing this to the measures adopted by authorities and businesses to ensure the environment was safe.

“Of course, parents were feeling fearful about sending their young ones to a childcare centre. But thanks to the caution we showed and the very serious measures implemented, we have still been successful.”

She believes this might have averted future problems, as children, especially young children, need a space where they are totally free to explore and socialise, keeping in mind all the safety measures.

In response to a question about her biggest challenge so far, she says without hesitation, “The mindset.”

“Childcare centres are different from babysitting services. A lot of work goes into it, such as developmental observations, individually planned activities according to the children’s milestones, and a daily routine to ensure all areas of development are being triggered.”

The mentality that women are not being good primary caregivers just because they send their little one to build a broader positive childhood experience was something which caused Ms Mangion a lot of pain as an educator. “However,” she says, “today’s society seems to be acknowledging all the benefits and work done.”

Turning finally to the future, Ms Mangion says that the biggest challenge ahead is to try and change some aspects in early years up to primary age national education.

“Children need space to live their childhood, to have stimulating education and real life experiences in touch with nature, not being seated in a room for six hours a day.”