By Prisca Promise Mashushu

Lilongwe, November 7, Mana: Partners in Action for Sustainable Development (PASD) has committed to help Early Childhood Development (ECD) centres with food in order to promote quality livelihood, growth and development of children amid hunger crisis in the country.

PASD Executive Director, Amos Ezekiel Chiyenda, said hunger which has affected some parts of the country has also impacted on children in ECD centres.

He said this greatly poses a threat to under-five children to suffer acute malnutrition which can lead to stunting, iron deficiencies and anaemia thereby affecting children’s physical, cognitive and emotional growth.

“As PASD, we are implementing school feeding program to respond to these challenges,” said Chiyenda.

PASD, with support from Feed the Hungry Malawi and Hope for Malawi Foundation is feeding 9,100 children with fortified rice every day in 120 Community Based Childcare Centres (CBCCs) in Traditional Authorities Malemia, Mlumbe, Nkapita, Ngwelero and Mwambo in Zomba district.

He said the CBCCs are just a portion of hundreds in Zomba district where children are learning without something to eat.

“We also bring together some local leaders including Members of Parliament and Community Based Organisation directors in one forum where we discuss and share ideas on sustainable means of addressing the issue to promote ECD in their areas,” he said.

He said several ECDs in the country are facing numerous challenges due to lack of support at community level.

He urged government and other organizations to help ECDs by implementing interventions that will address hunger at household level so that children will live a full life beginning from home.

“Additionally, Ministry of Gender, Community Development and Social Welfare, which is responsible for ECDs, should promote the idea of farming for each ECD centre to have maize, groundnuts and soya beans for children’s porridge, and introduce lunch so that children should not just eat breakfast and go home,” he explained.

ECD National Trainer, Khumbo Kachali, concurred with Chiyenda saying nutrition is prominent to children’s wellbeing.

“It is important to help manage hunger starting from communities where ECDs are located to avoid malnutrition, poor growth development among children and lack of concentration in class which leads to poor performance in schools.

“A special budget should be allocated to nutrition to promote health growth of children especially in rural areas. Children are leaders of tomorrow and their future begins now,” said Kachali.