Project on Early Childhood Care Launched

'Protect children from abuse'

20 June 2010, 18:00 PM

Staff Correspondent

With a view to involving local government authorities in early childhood development programme, Plan Bangladesh launched a project titled 'Early childhood care and development in disaster-prone areas' at a function at the LGED auditorium in the city yesterday. The 36-month project will be implemented in 10 unions and one pourasava of Barguna Sadar upazila. The project that started on February 1 will cover 18,000 children and 30,000 mothers or caregivers involving 33 upazila standing committees. The project will contribute towards the capacity enhancement of non-government organisations, local community and local authorities in effective delivery of Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD). It will also promote cognitive, socio-emotional and linguistic development of the disadvantaged children of pre-primary school age (0-6 years) and parental awareness on childcare and development in disasters, said Probak Karim, Learning Adviser of Plan Bangladesh. State Minister for Women and Children Affairs Dr Shirin Sharmin Choudhury in her speech as the chief guest underscored the need for assistance on priority basis to the children during the disaster. "Effective community planning is crucial in this regard. Children must be protected from abuse and money should be allocated for school feeding," she said. There is no alternative to eradicating poverty, she added. The example of Barguna could be replicated in other disaster-prone areas to save the children and ensure a better life for them, she said. Speakers at the programme said as children of the coastal belt area are more vulnerable to frequent disasters, they are more traumatised which should be addressed through psychological support along with their food, nutrition and treatment facilities. The ECCD coverage in the country is only 15 percent, which should be increased further for better development of the children. Every registered primary school should be attached with a pre-school programme, they said. Country Director of Plan Bangladesh Edward Thomas Espey chaired the programme while among others Nurul Alam, executive director of South Asia Partnership, Mohammad Mohsin of UNICEF, Mahmuda Akhter of Brac University, MA Khaled, chairman of Barguna Sadar Upazilla also spoke.