Through its ECD project funded by Plan International Rwanda, Caritas Rwanda along with other partners, joined the Bugesera district to celebrate the ECD day on 27th May 2024. This event took place in the Kamabuye sector and marked the end of the ECD week that began on 20th May 2024).
The ECD Week in Bugesera district was centered around the theme “Isibo, the solid foundation of early childhood development.” Throughout the week, a variety of activities took place, such as measuring children’s weight and height, collecting food for their nourishment, raising awareness on hygiene, sanitation, and health practices, educating parents on the importance of clean water, teaching parents how to prepare balanced meals for their families, and promoting positive parenting techniques.
In her address, Mrs. Yvette Imanishimwe, Vice Mayor of Bugesera District in charge of Social Affairs, highlighted the importance of addressing malnutrition among children. As for her, during the ECD week, out of the 1,756 children assessed, 99 were found to be suffering from malnutrition. Of these, 79 were identified as not severely malnourished (marked in yellow) and were immediately enrolled in the community kitchens within the villages (Igikoni cy’Umudugudu) to receive nutritious meals. The remaining 20 children were diagnosed with acute malnutrition and are now under the care of paediatricians who provide daily check-ups and ensure they are receiving a balanced diet until they fully recover.
Alphonsine Mukantwari, a home-based ECD caregiver supported by Caritas Rwanda’s ECD Project, shared her experience of how parents assist in caring for children while adhering to the six pillars of ECD: Nutrition, Health, WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene), Parenting Education, School Readiness, and Child Protection and Inclusiveness. She expressed gratitude to local authorities and partners such as Caritas Rwanda and Plan International Rwanda for their support in home-based ECD. Alphonsine urged all parents with children under 6 to enroll them in ECD programs, emphasizing the numerous benefits they provide.
During the event, winners of the competition for role model fathers were presented with bags and registers to help them continue to encourage other men to participate in nurturing care tasks. Robert Sengarama, the ECD and Education Program Manager at Plan International Rwanda, emphasized the importance of ECD and the need to raise awareness among parents of children under 6 who have not yet enrolled their children in ECD programs.
Sengarama highlighted the benefits of ECDs and stressed the significance of celebrating ECD Day to promote the well-being of young children. He also pointed out the lack of play areas in home-based ECDs, “In collaboration with Caritas Rwanda, we conducted various field visits in home-based ECDs and discovered that children do not have access to entertainment. A child learns a lot through playing activities. By using toys, the kid’s brain is stimulated”, he said. As a response, Caritas Rwanda, with support from Plan International Rwanda, distributed various brain-stimulating toys and games to children in the 20 home-based ECDs supported by the ECD Project in Bugesera district.
The Director General of the National Child Development Agency (NCDA), Mrs. Assumpta Ingabire, was the guest of honour at the ceremony. She explained that the ECD program was established by His Excellency, President Paul Kagame of the Republic of Rwanda in 2006. This initiative was born out of the realization that a significant number of Rwandan children suffer from stunted growth and lack access to quality education.
Mrs. Assumpta emphasized the importance of ECD caregivers and parents in enhancing the quality of home-based ECD services. She urged parents with children under the age of 6 to take advantage of these services. Mrs. Assumpta highlighted the transformative impact of proper child care, stating that a well-cared-for child grows into a responsible citizen who contributes positively to the development of the nation.
As was outlined at this event, there are 1,625 ECDs in the Bugesera district with 57,303 children. Among them, 1,160 (ECDs) are based in family houses (23,161 children). With funding from Plan International Rwanda, Caritas Rwanda’s ECD Project supports 20 of them in the Bugesera district.