Mrs Kagame carries one of the children at the Early Childhood Development and Family Centre

On Friday, 12, July, the First Lady Mrs Jeannette Kagame inaugurated the a model of Early Childhood Development and Family Centre (ECDFC) in Nyagatovu and Kitazigurwa sectors, where she called on parents to ensure positive parenting of children during the early phases of their lives in order to have future responsible citizens.

In her address to the residents, Mrs. Jeannette Kagame believed the integrated community-based early childhood development and family center that accommodates 135 children will provide space from which professionals can reach out to children, families and caregivers in line with how best children can be nurtured and cared for in all aspects of their development either through support at the facility or referral to existing professional services.

Available research, suggests that at no other time in a person’s life does one learn and develop as fast and intensely as in the early years. The care and attention a child receives in the first eight years of life, particularly during the first three years, are critical and influence the child for life. Learning is not confined to children of a certain age or to a formal school environment. In fact, babies learn rapidly from the moment of their birth. They grow and learn the most when they receive affection, attention and stimulation in addition to good nutrition and proper health care. Investments in early child development through early learning activities and improved school readiness along with health and nutrition interventions increase the likelihood that boys and girls will complete primary school.

Children learn how to behave by imitating the behavior of those closest to them and, as such, parents and caregivers need the knowledge and skills necessary to provide the child with the best early learning environment and interaction.

A wide body of research in the fields of anthropology, developmental psychology, medicine, sociology, and education points to the critical impact of development in the early years of childhood in the formation of intelligence, personality, and social behavior. The effects of neglect in these formative years can be cumulative and lasting.

Focusing exclusively on targeted interventions such as health and nutrition without considering the holistic nature of Early Childhood Development risks the hindrance of children’s complete growth and development. Both biological and environmental factors affect brain development and behavior. For example, young children who experience extreme stress are at greater risk for developing cognitive, behavioral or emotional difficulties. These impediments can have lasting effects on children’s readiness for school and later on their performance in school.

It was with this regard that, the One UN Resident Coordinator, Lamin Manneh, commended the efforts of the government of Rwanda in protecting and promoting children’s rights specifically for putting in place centers that will play a big role in positive parenting practices and other services in the early development of children. He pledged One UN support to any useful initiative and ensure that children in Rwanda grow up from a solid foundation, thus empowering them and making Rwanda a stronger nation.

The right to a child’s development has been accepted and embraced by the international community. The Convention on the Rights of the Child clearly highlights the importance of early child development, saying that a child has a right to develop to “the maximum extent possible.” (Article 6) and that “States Parties recognize the right of every child to a standard of living adequate for the child’s physical, mental, spiritual, moral and social development.” (Article 27).

Based on Rwanda’s Integrated Child Rights Policy (ICRP) with its corresponding Child Care Reform Strategy (CCSR), early child development is increasingly being put on the agenda for children’s rights. Ensuring the healthy cognitive, social and emotional development of young children merits the highest priority of every responsible government, organization, community, family and individual for the sake of raising healthy children in the country. Reaching children in a holistic manner and incorporating health, nutrition, water and sanitation, education and interventions that support their full development is crucial.

It is in this esteem that Mrs. Jeannette Kagame also encouraged men to care for their wives during pregnancy in order to raise their children well and live in a happy and healthy family. The Kayonza ECDFC was built by Imbuto Foundation in partnership with the Rwandan government and funded by ONE UN family.