Ministry of Gender, Community Development and Social Welfare early childhood development (ECD) trainer Mercy Salimu says government is working on modalities to put caregivers on payroll to motivate them.
She said this on Saturday in Mzuzu during the graduation of 40 caregivers from Chitipa and Karonga districts.
Said Salimu: “We are aware of the shortage of caregivers in community-based childcare centres because people work on voluntary basis as such they lack motivation.
“However, government is working towards putting them on payroll to attract many caregivers.”
She asked the caregivers to utilise the knowledge and skills acquired to develop children in their districts.
CCAP Synod of Livingstonia ECD Programme executive director the Reverend Edward Kamthunzi, whose institution trained the caregivers, said the pupil-caregiver ratio is at 1:40 instead of 1:15.
He said: “If we are to address the shortage of caregivers, we need partners such as World Vision Malawi to train more.
“We are also pleased to learn that government is planning to pay caregivers.”
World Vision Malawi Chitipa and Karonga programmes manager Limbani Kumpolota said they are committed to promoting early childhood development education in the country.
She said: “We have added these to the 140 caregivers we have trained over the years for the 71 centres in our catchment areas in Chitipa and Karonga districts.”
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