Karonga caregivers asked to utilise teaching skills

Karonga District Council principal human resources management officer Rafik Ngwaya has challenged caregivers to contribute towards the development of elementary education.

The officer made the remarks on Monday during the graduation of 48 caregivers who underwent a 12-day early childhood development (ECD)training at Lusubilo in the district.

Ngwaya said the dropout rate in primary and secondary schools will be reduced if ECD centres inculcate a hard-working spirit in children.

“As government, we appreciate the role caregivers play in ensuring  that the community has productive future citizens. I, therefore, ask you to utilise the skills to mould the children into future leaders,” he said.

Future Plan for the Child (FPC) executive director Amos Chindamba, whose organisation funded the training, said they came in after a community analysis revealed that 70 percent of caregivers in the area had no basic ECD training.

“Our objective is to strengthen community capacity building through ECD based on three pillars that are child participation, child protection and early childhood development.

“This is why we decided to train the caregivers to bridge the gap that was there so that kids at nursery schools should be at par with their friends everywhere in the country,” he said.

Karonga district social welfare officer Atupele Mwalweni commended FPC for the training, saying out of 6 000 caregivers in the district, only 2 350 are trained.

Evelyn Mbughi, a caregiver, described the training as an eye-opener.

FPC is implementing a three-year Building Awareness and Planning for the Future project with funding from Germany’s Kindernothilfe to the tune of K115 million.