My Early Childhood Development and Family Contact is a specialist at UNICEF Rwanda. His name is Michael Banda. UNICEF Rwanda's purpose is to make immunization, maternal care, stimulation and readiness accessible to children aged 0 to 6 years. It is a continuum of services delivered by the partnership with the government of Rwanda.
Rwanda is a developing country with 44% of the population living below the poverty line.
Rwanda is a developing country with 44% of the population living below the poverty line.
The importance of
human development has been addressed in Rwanda’s second five-year Economic
Development and Poverty Reduction Strategy, launched in July 2013.
As one of the pillars of this strategy, human development encompasses the
arenas of health and nutrition, education, ECD, social policy and child
protection. As noted by UNICEF, ECD has been identified as a national priority
for the implementation of this strategy[1].
While 96% of children are enrolled in primary school, only 12.7% of children
are enrolled in formal pre-primary education[2].
An analysis of ECD in Rwanda identified that the major constraints in the
sector are lack of coordination, allocation of ECD budget and insufficient
supply of affordable ECD services.[3]
As part of its
commitment to improving ECD outcomes, the Government of Rwanda has increased
the budget allocation for pre-primary education for 2013- 2018; while until
2009 ECD funding represented only 0.005% of the education budget, the figure
for 2013-2014 was 2%.[4],[5]
I appreciate the work of organizations like UNICEF whose purpose is the well- being and development of children worldwide. Thank you.
[1] UNICEF 2013 UNICEF Annual Report 2013- Rwanda, http://www.unicef.org/about/annualreport/files/Rwanda_COAR_2013.pdf
[2] Rwanda
Statistical Yearbook 2014, National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda,
Government of Rwanda, November 2013
[3] UNICEF 2013
UNICEF Annual Report 2013- Rwanda, http://www.unicef.org/about/annualreport/files/Rwanda_COAR_2013.pdf
[4] Save the
Children 2013 Laying the Foundation: Early Childhood development in Rwanda http://www.rencp.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Laying-the-Foundations-Rwanda-Brief-7th-Jan_final.pdf
[5] UNICEF 2015 ToR - Analysis of the costs of pre-primary
Education in Rwanda http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/files/ToR_Analysis_of_the_costs_of_pre_primary_Education_in_Rwanda.docx
This was a great read. It's amazing how some parts of USA are not much different than poverty in Rwanda yet we are called the land of plenty. I will keep them in my prayers alongside the USA. We will win in the end.
ReplyDeleteAmen Shining, we have to keep the faith and thanks for your prayers.
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