Early Child Development (ECD) generally refers to psychological and physiological development that takes place during the period from conception to eight years, during which acquisition of culturally relevant skills and behaviors allows children to function and adapt effectively according to the environment in which they live and grow. In order to adequately prepare children in target areas and considering the high importance of ECD, Rupani Foundation has started multiple programs to promote education from early years and multiple supportive programs for their parents and family members. The Early Childhood Development initiative of Rupani Foundation is the most important component of its programmatic operations. The foundation recognizes ECD as an effective strategy that can play a vital role in bringing our target community out of the vicious cycle of poverty. Rupani Foundation particularly aims to provide a comprehensive program of education for parents and primary caregivers of children from pre-natal to six years of age. All ECD interventions follow the child-centered approach to make children of targeted age group lifelong learners, assist parents and primary caregivers in building parenting skills.
EARLY CHILDHOOD CARE AND DEVELOPMENT PROJECT
RF recently has successfully executed a project “Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD)” in partnership with Plan Pakistan. The project was initiated in 2012. The major purpose of the project was to increase access to quality ECD programs and effective evolution into formal schooling of the children between 3-5 years, especially those coming from the most vulnerable and marginalized population. RF worked with the district government and local community in establishing ECCD Centers at the Union Council level in Sindh’s Sujawal District. ECCD followeds a High/Scope model to implement the ECE targets envisioned in Pakistan’s National Education Policy 2009. In this project, RF basically applied the syllabus designed by Plan Pakistan. One key feature of ECCD had been its priority to use low-cost no-cost (LCNC) material. ECCD was primarily designed to provide access to pre-formal school children, consequently increasing enrolment in formal schooling and decrease dropouts.
TOGETHER WE MADE A DIFFERENCE!
Started in 2012, the ECCD climbed up the ladder of the success in a short span. Mobilization of community support in four Union Councils including Keenjhar, Jar, Belo and Ali Bahar, was the first activity that RF carried out in District Sujawal. The meetings and community mobilization effort paved the way for creating 19 local education committees in the four union councils. These committees supported the creation of 34 community-based ECCD Centers across all the four union councils. Amazingly, the community mobilization effort inspired and motivated local women to offer an unprecedented level of support to ECCD. For the first time, in a largely patriarchal society, local women came out of their homes to become care givers and facilitators at the ECCD Centers.