Pan-African Parliament impressed with ActionAid’s ECD programme
PAP toured Lipalama CBCC as part of its visit in Malawi
The Pan African Parliament (PAP) an organ of African Union, says it is impressed by the ActionAid Malawi Early Childhood Development programme (ECD) The PAP Speaker, Djamel Bouras, who is also a Member of Parliament from Algeria, made the remarks today in Chitumu, Lilongwe where he and his PAP delegation toured Lipalama Model Community based Child Care Centre (CBCC) which was constructed by ActionAid Malawi under its 10-year comprehensive ECD programme
The delegation, among others, appreciated how the CBCC is providing access to quality Early Childhood Development (ECD) to underprivileged children in the area in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Speaking after interacting with learners and caregivers at the CBCCs, Honorable Bouras said he is impressed by the hardworking spirit of community members in ensuring that their children access quality early child development in the area. He promised to mobilise support such as play materials, clothes, sanitation supplies to ease learning at the centre in light of the Covid-19 pandemic.
In his remarks, Group Village Nthyoka, who represented Traditional Authority Chimutu hailed PAP for the visit and pledged support which he said would go a long way in reducing the challenges the school is facing. He said as chiefs, they would continue mobilizing parents to be sending their children to ECD centres to facilitate their great start to primary education
Speaking earlier, ActionAid Malawi ECD programme coordinator, Jaynet Kuyeri, said the organisation has, since 2011, been implementing a comprehensive ECD programme in the country with funding from Roger Federer Foundation to provide access to quality ECD services to under-privileged children. She said so far the program has constructed 80 Model CBCCs in the country’s ten districts where the project is being implemented, trained care-givers and initiated resolving funds initiative to incentivize the care-givers. At a national level, she said ActionAid Malawi, through the ECD Coalition has also been conducting lobbying meetings with parliamentarians to increase budgetary allocations to the ECD sector