INVESTING IN EARLY YEARS FOR GROWTH AND PRODUCTIVITY
Picture of a CBCC under the project by project
The Investing in Early Years for Growth and Productivity is a project that is funded by the World Bank to the tune of US$60 Million. The Project Development Objective (PDO) is to improve coverage and utilization of early childhood development services, with focus on nutrition, stimulation and early learning, from conception to 59 months in selected districts of Malawi. The districts implementing IEYP are: Zomba, Likoma, Mangochi, Machinga, Chikwawa, Chiradzulu, Thyolo, Mwanza, Neno, Mchinji, Dowa, Ntcheu and Rumphi. These districts were selected based on poor nutrition indicators and lack of partner organizations to support early childhood development and nutrition interventions.
The Project is also strengthening health and nutrition activities within CBCCs and Primary Health Centers (PHCs).The primary target groups for community-based nutrition and early stimulation interventions include pregnant and lactating women, adolescent girls and 0-36 month’s old children. On the other hand, the early learning interventions is targeting 36-59 months old children. The project has four main components namely; Community-based nutrition and early stimulation interventions; Centre-based early learning, nutrition and health interventions; Multi-sectoral coordination, capacity and system strengthening; Contingent emergency response.
The project is construction 150 model CBCCs, drilling boreholes and equipping with play and stimulation materials, promoting CBCC garden, training caregivers, mentors and CBCC management Committee. Additionally, Interactive Radio Instruction is another initiative in the project where children aged 5years who will be transiting to primary learn through radio’
EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT
This division aims at coordinating the provision of early learning, stimulation and transition and child rights protection services to Children from 0 – 8 years and parenting education and support services to caregivers for children. In order to fulfill this mandate, this division is implementing the National ECD Policy and Strategic Plan which was launched during the National ECD Advocacy Week in October 2018. The activities that the division is implementing include: Construction and upgrading of ECD Centres at community level; training of caregivers and management committees at community level; provision of early learning materials to community based child care centres (CBCCs); facilitating training of parenting educators at district and community levels; and facilitating effective transition of children from early childhood development centres to primary schools. The division also engages in the production of guidelines and standards including curriculum for national early childhood development Centre activities.
INVESTING IN EARLY YEAR PROJECT
The Investing in Early Years for Growth and Productivity is a project that will be funded by the World Bank to the tune of US$60 Million. The Project Development Objective (PDO) is to improve coverage and utilization of early childhood development services, with focus on nutrition, stimulation and early learning, from conception to 59 months in selected districts of Malawi. The selected districts are: Zomba, Likoma, Mangochi, Machinga, Chikwawa, Chiradzulu, Thyolo, Mwanza, Neno, Mchinji, Dowa, Ntcheu and Rumphi. These districts were selected based on poor nutrition indicators and lack of partner organizations to support early childhood development and nutrition interventions.
Currently, the Ministry in collaboration with the Department of HIV/AIDS and Nutrition is in the process of establishing the Project Facilitation Team (PFT) to ensure that implementation starts as early as July 2019. Interviews for the positions of project coordinator, finance management specialist, M&E Specialist, Quantity Surveyor, Project Engineer and Procurement Specialist were conducted in May 2019. The successful candidates are yet to be communicated to start work in the PFT.
