By Godfred Aaneamenga Polkuu
Chiana-Asunia (U/E), March 30, GNA – Children Believe (CB), a child-focused non-governmental organisation (NGO), has commissioned a fully furnished Early Childhood Development (ECD) centre in Chiana-Asunia, a community in the Kassena-Nankana West District.
The facility, valued at about GH¢670,000.00, is designed for children aged four to five years and includes a teachers’ office, modern classrooms, furniture, stationery, and a playground equipped with various recreational installations.
The project was funded by CB and implemented by Participatory Action for Rural Development Alternatives (PARDA), an NGO dedicated to holistic child development.
The facility marks the eighth ECD centre established in five years under the PARDA Builsa-Kassena Area Programme, bringing the total to four centres each in the Kassena-Nankana West District and the Builsa North Municipality.
The intervention addresses a critical infrastructure gap in the district, which has 69 kindergartens (KGs), with only 15 housed in permanent structures and 54 operating under trees. Additionally, only seven meet standard ECD infrastructure requirements, four of which were constructed by PARDA and CB.
Speaking at the commissioning, Mrs. Esenam Kavi De Souza, Country Director of CB, reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to breaking the cycle of poverty through education.
“We are committed to building the right foundation for children. Without investment in these early years, subsequent investments later in life will not yield the desired results. We hope this edifice encourages parents to enrol their children at the appropriate age,” she stated.
She emphasised that children should begin KG One at age four and KG Two at age five to be adequately prepared for primary school by age six. She cautioned that early enrolment leads to overcrowding and reduced quality of education, while late enrolment—at age six or beyond—comes with its own challenges.
Dr. Michael Wombeogo, Executive Director of PARDA, expressed gratitude to CB for its continued support and indicated that the new facility would serve an initial cohort of 65 pioneer pupils.
“May they be a source of inspiration for their peers to join them here for a brighter future. It is our fervent hope that more ECD centres will come the way of this district and other communities within and beyond,” he said.
He called on stakeholders to collaborate in protecting children from neglect and exploitation and urged them to prioritise maintenance of the facility to ensure it serves future generations.
The Chiana-Pio, Pe Ditundini Adiali Ayagitam III, Paramount Chief of the Chiana Traditional Area, in a statement delivered on his behalf, thanked PARDA and CB for the project and appealed for more development initiatives in the area.
Mr. Stephen Aeke Akurugo, District Chief Executive, said the Assembly remained committed to supporting initiatives by development partners such as PARDA and CB to improve education and social development, and called for more partners to support the district.
GNA
Edited by Caesar Abagali /Audrey Dekalu