By Margaret Kalua

Nkhata Bay, July 23, 2023: District Social Welfare Officer for Nkhatabay, Macsencie Chagomera says early childhood development (ECD) education is a strong foundation for the fulfilment of Malawi 2063.

Speaking on Friday during a graduation ceremony at God's Favor School, one of the ECD centers at Chintheche in Nkhatabay, Chagomerana said early education grooms’ children into responsible citizens from a tender age.

He said: "By 2063, these are the people who will be in leadership positions so this is a right time to sharpen their minds and make sure we put them on the right track. If we teach them at a tender age, we are assured that the 2063 agenda is achievable.”

He called upon parents to complement the care givers’ efforts by teaching their children at home when they knock off from school, saying through collaboration between caregivers and parents, children get knowledge easily and quickly.

District Education Management Information Officer for Nkhatabay, Michael Gondwe, said the district is making progress in ECD despite facing numerous challenges including poor learning facilities, lack of motivation for care givers and inadequate teaching and learning resources.

Gondwe appealed for more investment in care givers particularly in areas of training and provision of necessary support and motivation to them.

Director for God's Favor School, Dollar Banda said the aim of her school is to complement government’s efforts in providing ECD, saying while it is a paying nursery school, there are also some children from poor families who learn for free.