The Centre Relief Services has inaugurated an Early Childhood Development (ECD) centre has been inaugurated at Walewale in the West Mamprusi Municipality of North East Region, to enhance ECD services in the area.
The new ECD centre is a space within the Our Lady of Rocio Health Centre, which is furnished and stocked with toys and other learning and play tools for children.
It will serve as a room to accommodate children from zero to four years in the absence of their parents.
It was constructed as part of the Strengthening the Capacity of Women Religious in Early Childhood Development (SCORE ECD III) project.
The project, being undertaken in Ghana, Kenya, Zambia, and Malawi, seeks to mitigate challenges associated with early childhood development in these countries.
It is being implemented in Ghana by the CRS, and the Conference of Major Superiors of Ghana (CMSR GH) with funding from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation.
SCORE ECD III is being implemented in 10 districts across the Northern, North East, and Upper East Regions, and it is in its third phase.
Mr Timothy Akanpabadai, Head of Office for CRS Ghana, speaking during the opening of the facility, said the project had made strides since its implementation in March 2022.
He noted that other components of the project had reached out to 4,386 caregivers, adding that it also reached 1,636 participants through the Savings and Internal Lending Communities across the project districts, who had accumulatively saved over $35,000 for lending to members for livelihood.
He said, “We have built the capacities of 22 Catholic Sisters as master trainers to enable the training of caregivers at the community level. We have formed 44 “smart couple groups” comprising over 450 couples.”
He said 10 health facilities’ ECD spaces had been earmarked to be set up and equipped in the project districts to enable children play within the health facilities.
Hajia Lariba Zuweira Abudu, Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, who is also Member of Parliament for Walewale, commended the CRS and partners for their support towards childhood development over the years.
She said the initiative would complement the government’s efforts to foster social protection and create an environment conducive for child growth.
She said: “I want to assure the CRS and partners of the support of the Ministry of Gender and my continued dedication to championing ECD across the length and breadth of Ghana.”
Mr Yidana Zakaria, North East Regional Minister, urged the community to consider the ECD gesture by the CRS as a way of encouraging responsible parenting to play their respective roles in the upbringing of their children.
He appealed to men to engage women in family decisions to create healthy families where children could thrive.
