By Vincent Gunde
ActionAid Malawi says is set to implement the School Readiness Initiative (SRI) Programme in Dowa District, targeting 124 Community-Based Childcare Centres (CBCCs) with a budget of K150 million.
The six-year initiative, implemented in three phases, seeks to improve access to quality pre-primary education and address challenges affecting children’s school readiness and transition to primary education.
As the programme moves into Phase 4, Dowa has been included, with the next phase focusing on strengthening government ownership to ensure that the interventions are implemented and sustained through government structures.
Presenting the programme to the District Executive Committee (DEC) in Dowa, ActionAid Malawi Project Officer Bertha Kapapa said the district’s target centres are among those supported under the Government Mentorship Programme.
Kapapa explained that although Dowa is not among the original districts implementing the School Readiness Initiative, it benefits from the Government Mentorship Programme, through which 3,000 tablets are distributed across all 28 districts.
She said mentors are trained to implement activities similar to those promoted under the School Readiness Initiative, adding that Dowa received 66 tablets.
Kapapa said the programme aims to ensure that vulnerable children access quality pre-primary education to prepare them for a smoother transition to primary school.
She outlined its objectives as establishing joint responsibility for early learners, expanding access to age-appropriate early learning facilities and improving caregivers’ skills in delivering early childhood education.
“Implementation of the initiative has been guided by three phases over six years, and as the programme moves into Phase 4, government will take the lead in implementing and sustaining the interventions to ensure that children continue benefiting from quality early learning services,” said Kapapa.
In his remarks, Dowa District Council Principal Environmental Development Officer Yusuf Laki commended the initiative, describing it as an important intervention in strengthening Early Childhood Development (ECD) services in the district.
Laki urged ActionAid Malawi to regularly update the DEC on the programme’s progress to promote cooperation, transparency and accountability.
