The Anglican Diocesan Development and Relief Organization (ADDRO) in collaboration with Episcopal Relief Development Unit of the Church, has organized a five-day training session for Early Childhood Development promoters in the Upper East region.

The programme, organized in Bolgatanga, was aimed at educating caregivers on how to take care of little children and involved 20 participants from the Builsa District.

Mr Prince Imoro Awimba, the Programme Coordinator for Early Childhood Development project, ADDRO, said the programme was being implemented in three regions, the Upper East, Northern and Upper West Regions.

He said the initiative sought to contribute to the survival of mothers and children within the range of zero to three years.
Mr Awimba said those ages were crucial for the development of children hence investing in them at that age could help them develop well in good health.
He explained that the promoters were community based representatives trained by ECD facilitators to go back and share their knowledge and experiences with caregivers through home visits and monthly meetings.

Rt. Rev. Dennis Debukari Tong, the Bishop of Tamale Anglican Diocese, said the ECD programme was making good impact in communities where it was being operationalized.

He cited an instance where the promoters on their routine home visits detected a little baby with sight problems, who was referred to a health facility for check- up.

Rt. Rev. Tong advised caregivers to inculcate biblical teachings in the children's upbringing as part of efforts to ensure that children grow to become responsible citizens.

Mr Dauda Abubakari, an ECD promoter and Disease Control Officer at Samdema East, said through the education, men had started accompanying their pregnant wives to antenatal visits.

He said formerly, men in remote communities used to shy away from certain duties and were of the perception that women were solely responsible for the upbringing of children.

Mr Abubakari expressed gratitude to ADDRO and its partners for the initiative and appealed for continuous education on Early Childhood Development to ensure that every child grows with the right nurturing.