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AECDM rolls out K140m training project

The Association of Early Child Development (AECDM) has rolled out a one-year Unicef- funded programme to scale up institutional training of caregiver across the country.

The move according to the association is aimed at increasing the number of trained caregivers, currently, standing at 49 percent.

Briefing journalists last week in Blantyre, AECDM executive director Charles Gwengwe said they expect, by November this year, to deliver institutionalised quality training model to 735 caregivers from 245 Community-Based Childcare Centres (CBCC) nationwide.

“We will also, specifically, provide comprehensive package of ECD [early child development] services to 2 000 children in 20 CBCCs in Blantyre Rural. Additionally, we will not only see to it that at least 20 CBCCs in Blantyre Rural meet basic minimum standards but we will develop four model CBCCs in the district,” he said.

With the K140 million (about $350 000) from Unicef, the project will see an additional 26, 500 children accessing quality ECD services in the country. Currently, out of 1.1 million eligible children, a record low 38 percent accesses ECD services. Despite challenges in accessibility, quality of the services that the 38 percent receive is again greatly hampered by lack of training by caregivers.

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