Ministry of Gender, Community Development and Social Welfare has called for a multi-sectoral approach to the promotion of Early Childhood Development (ECD) Centres across Malawi.
Speaking to MBC on the role of stakeholders in ECD, acting Director of Child Affairs in the ministry, Justin Hamela, said government has launched the One Village One Community-Based Child Care Centre campaign to ensure that every child has access to early childhood services.
Hamela said traditional leaders are expected to support the initiative by providing land for CBCC construction and gardens, encouraging communities to mobilise materials, urging parents to send their children to the centres and linking volunteer caregivers to public works programmes.
Senior Chief Kapeni of Blantyre said the campaign has taken root in his area, with many villages now having ECD centres due to community mobilisation and leadership involvement.
“I can point out a number of villages with functioning ECD structures. Group village heads and village heads have also taken part in setting up centres in their areas. The journey continues,” he said.
Executive Director for the Association of Early Childhood Development in Malawi, Clement Silungwe, emphasised that ECD prepares children aged 0 to 8 years for education and national contribution.
“Children who go through ECD perform better in primary school than those who come straight from home. Since education is the key to development, these children grow to contribute meaningfully in all sectors of the country,” Silungwe added.
