Kigali-12 June 2019- The Minister was speaking yesterday 11 June 2019 during a two day-International Early Childhood Development Conference that brought together more than 300 delegates from around the world. The conference was organized by the Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion through the National Early Childhood Development Program and other partners. Participants in this conference that is themed: “Investing in early years for optimum human capital development” shared best practices for ECD implementation, strengthen advocacy for ECD investment at government and community level, strengthening multi-sectoral, regional and international partnerships for research and implementation of ECD.

While officiating this conference, the Minister of Gender and Family Promotion Amb. Soline Nyirahabimana accentuated: ‘Investing in the early years is one of the smartest investments a country can make to break the cycle of poverty, address inequality, and boost productivity later in life in its Citizens’.

The Minister went on further adding: ‘Lifetime behavior patterns are formed during early years, when brain development is most active. As such, what happens or does not happen during these early years of a child’s life, influences their growth and development outcomes as well as opportunities in adulthood.’

Rwanda recognizes early childhood development as one of the pillars of human capital development and sustainable development that provides a comprehensive approach to policies and programs for children from 0 to 6 years of age, their parents and caregivers. Since 2017, the Government of Rwanda created a National Early Childhood Development Program (NECDP) that is backed by a comprehensive ECD Policy developed in 2016, Food and Nutrition Policy (2013-2018) and other child development related initiatives, offering government orientation on interventions to support children’s full physical, cognitive, language, social, emotional and psychological development.

The Minister of Gender and Family Promotion reiterated Rwanda’s commitment to the realization of National Early Childhood Development Program mandate to eradicate stunting. The country envisions to curb malnutrition among children under 5 years from 38% to 19% in 2024. To achieve this, Rwanda will increase the access to ECD services from 13% to 45% in the same year.

The Chairperson of the National Early Childhood Development Program who also happens to be MIGEPROF’s Permanent Secretary UMUTONI GATSINZI Nadine pointed out that family members especially parents should make sure that children are well raised from their tender age because that is where they get integrated.

She said that MIGEPROF along its stakeholders will continue to sensitize the public on behavior change towards ECD services, adding that both parents need to play a role in raising children. The sensitization will be done from grassroots level through existing platforms such as Evening Parents’ Forum known as ‘Umugoroba w’Ababyeyi where parents are equipped with proper feeding skills, hygiene and sanitation in order to combat malnutrition and stunting.