Addis Ababa, May 12, 2024 (FBC) – Mayors drawn from various African cities and representatives of development partners have visited Early Childhood Development programs being implemented in different places in Addis Ababa.
The visit accompanied by Mayor of Addis Ababa Adanech Abiebie, Health Minister, Mekdes Daba and other high ranking government officials as well as development partners and donors.
The officials have also attended Addis Ababa City Administration Early Childhood Development Program Parental Coaches graduation ceremony held at the Friendship Square, in the capital.
It is indicated during the occasion that over 5,000 Parental Coaches have so far been trained including today’s graduates.
It is to be recalled that the city administration has launched the comprehensive early childhood development (ECD) program with the objective of changing the lives of children in the capital.
The program targets children under the age of six at home, in schools, and in communities to have conducive environment that caters to the wide-ranging growth needs of children.
The Addis Ababa Early Childhood Development Initiative is an evidence-based, comprehensive, integrated, multisector early childhood development effort with the goal of making Addis Ababa the best city in Africa for raising children.
By 2026, the program’s main goal is to guarantee that 1.3 million children under the age of six reach developmental milestones related to their health, learning, and psychological well-being.
The program aims to achieve this by offering children in 330,000 vulnerable households with a focus on those who could miss important developmental milestones.
Mayors of various African Cities and representatives of international organizations have arrived in Addis Ababa on Saturday to visit mega development projects in the capital and share experiences.