People of Yalang village of Shumar Gewog in Pema Gatshel are all smiles. They now have an Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) Centre.
The women particularly are elated. Access to ECCD centre means they will not have to worry about their children any more.
Until now, someone in the family had to stay home to look after children. Some took their children with them to work.
“Having to keep an eye on your children when working is hard,” Moenlam Zangmo, a mother from Kohthakpa said.
“Now, with the ECCD Centre, we just have to drop our children to the centre in the morning and pick them up only in the evening. We will have all the time to focus on our work.”
Karma Zangmo, another mother heaved a sigh of relief. “As a farmer, we hardly get to stay home and it’s difficult to move around when we have small children to take care of,” she said.
“Sometimes, we keep them with neighbours but we cannot do that all the time. I think the centre will make our lives easier.”
The benefits for the children are many. The centre will be a learning place. The activities will stimulate their minds, fostering creative and intellectual development of their young minds.
The centre was constructed with funds from UNICEF and Save the Children.
Pema Gatshel now has 18 ECCD centers including four private centres. More than three hundred children go to these centres.
