Ampati:
The first block convention on Meghalaya Early Childhood Development (ECD) Mission was successfully held in South West Garo Hills, marking a significant step towards improving the well-being of the community. The convention focused on addressing critical issues such as infant mortality rates and fostering interdepartmental collaboration to ensure community involvement and inter-departmental collaboration in its implementation.
The convention with all stakeholders from the district, block and community levels, was organised by the Deputy Commissioner along with the BDO, Betasing C&RD Block and the state team of ECDM, resource persons and master trainers from various departments and agencies at Ampati on Saturday.
The ECD Mission of the state government aspires to address the causes of developmental changes by providing ample scope through interventions for physiological as well as psychological development of children from birth till the age of 8 years.
The ADB has provided funding for the Mission which has identified 15 blocks through randomization to ensure equal distribution of resources and benefits across the state.
Deputy Commissioner R P Marak while initiating the discussions, highlighted that, six cases of infant mortality rates were reported in the past six months. While this remains a matter of concern, he said it was encouraging to note that there have been no reports of maternal mortality rates during the same period. Marak later emphasized that this achievement underscores the effectiveness of collaborative efforts and the positive impact they can have on the community.
He also stressed the need for synergy among various departments, emphasizing that working closely with the C&RD block office, Social Welfare, Education and Health departments and other stakeholders is crucial for optimizing resources, exchanging knowledge and ensuring a holistic approach to address the challenges faced by the community.
For effective implementation of ECD Mission, a bottom-up approach has been adopted placing emphasis on the active participation of the community members. The convention witnessed participation of over 200 participants from 32 villages under Betasing Block, including the village heads, VHCs, VECs, ASHAs, Anganwadi workers, SHGs and VOs among others. They shared their experiences and voiced their concerns during the group discussions. It was acknowledged that certain villages still lack Anganwadi centres and that steps would be taken to address the issue.
To facilitate learning and collaboration during the day long convention, master trainers drawn from various government agencies including MSRLS, NHM, ICDS, SRES etc were assigned the role of facilitating interactive discussions and activities, with the objective to create a supportive environment that encourages the community to realize the importance of early childhood.
Earlier, BDO, Betasing, C R N Sangma in her introductory address highlighted the Mission and the purpose of the convention, while the officials of the collaborating departments highlighted on the status of their respective interventions.