Parents, guardians and authorities in Mchinji and Rumphi have expressed gratitude to the Royal Norwegian Embassy for the financial support it is providing towards improving Early Childhood Development (ECD) services in the two districts.
Through the Norwegian Church Aid and Dan ChurchAid (NCA – DCA) Malawi Joint Country Programme, the Royal Norwegian Embassy is financing the construction of ECD centres in its efforts to enhance education and create a better environment for children.
The project has also enabled implementing partners to train 82 caregivers, provide clean and safe drinking water to the beneficiary communities spread in 42 locations 10 centers in Rumphi and 32 centers in Mchinji.
Nutrition specialist for the NCA-DCA Malawi Joint Country Programme, Tiyezge Kalima, disclosed that the project also aims to construct Community Development Centers (CDC).
Kalima added that by training 82 caregivers from both districts, the project wants to address challenges related to the physical, emotional, and nutritional development of children in these centers.
“The project ends next year, however we are collaborating closely with our government counterparts to ensure the sustainability of our interventions. We are very satisfied with the progress made in the 42 centers and hope that these caregivers will perform their duties effectively to support children’s growth across six developmental categories,” said Kalima.
Martin Pindankono, the Director of Economic Planning and Development for Mchinji, commended NCA-DCA Malawi Joint Country Programme and the Royal Norwegian Embassy for undertaking the initiatives, which he said will play a critical role in promoting mental, physical, emotional, and nutritional development, leading to better performance in primary and secondary schools.
Pindankono noted that child development is foundational to national development, stating the need to prioritize early childhood development in Malawi.
This, he asked caregivers to work diligently to ensure a strong foundation for children.
“We thank our development partners for equipping caregivers with the knowledge and skills necessary to build a better foundation for children in our Early Childhood Development Centers. We encourage caregivers to work hard so that our children acquire the skills and knowledge needed for proper development,” said Pindankono.
One caregiver, Rahabe Kennedy, from Chiphesi Village in Traditional Authority Dambe in Mchinji, thanked NCA-DCA Malawi Joint Country Programme for organizing a two-week training workshop.
Kennedy said the training helped her to acquire new skills and knowledge in supporting children across the six developmental categories.
