The African Inland Church and Community Agency for Development (AICCAD) and Help a Child Africa (HACA) in collaboration with the County Government of Busia, have commissioned a state-of-the-art Early Childhood Development (ECDE) Centre at St Teresa’s Makale and Lwanyange Primary Schools in Nambale Sub County.
Speaking during the handing over ceremony of the classrooms on Monday, the director of AICCAD Mathew Okeyo, said that the move was to ensure that every child lives a dignified life in a conducive environment.
The Country Director for Help a Child Africa, Rachel Kigame, noted that early childhood is often neglected, with many young children learning under trees.
‘What makes our ECDE centres different is the integrated approach. We don’t just focus on education but also equip parents with skills to nurture their children, gain income through table banking and advocate for their rights,’ she said.
Busia County Chief Officer for Strategic Partnership and Resource Mobilization, Patricia Okello, stated that desks and other furniture for the new centres are being produced locally by the county’s vocational training centres.
Okello added that the county government constructed 96 ECDE classrooms during the last financial year and has plans to build 63 more during this year.
She further stated that the county’s school feeding program currently supports 46,000 pupils across the 463 ECDE centres by providing meals twice a week to ensure that children stay healthy and focused.
AICCAD has so far constructed six classrooms in three schools, two offices per school, a modern kitchen, a toilet block and a water tank to promote hygiene.
The organisation that is currently operating in Nambale Sub County has expressed the desire to expand their support to other Sub Counties subject to availability of resources.
By Salome Alwanda
