By Jones Gadama
Minister of Gender, Children, Disability and Social Welfare, Mary Navicha, has called for stronger collaboration to improve early childhood stimulation, warning that many children under five remain at risk of poor developmental outcomes.
Navicha made the remarks in Lilongwe on Tuesday during the dissemination of findings from the Mwana 1.5 Campaign, a nationwide initiative promoting positive early childhood stimulation practices among caregivers through radio programming.
She said the findings reveal significant gaps in early stimulation and stressed that failure to address the challenge could negatively affect the country’s human capital development.
“Early childhood stimulation shapes the future of this country. If we miss this window, we risk losing the potential of an entire generation,” Navicha said.
The Minister urged stakeholders to work together to ensure children are raised in nurturing environments that promote learning, interaction, and healthy development from an early age.
The Mwana 1.5 Campaign was implemented by the Ministry in partnership with Development Media International. It targeted caregivers of children under three years with messages on positive parenting and early childhood stimulation.
Development Media International Country Manager, Prince Kasinja, said the campaign has contributed to improved parenting practices. He noted that more caregivers are adopting positive discipline and engaging more actively with their children.
“The initiative has shown that mass media can effectively drive behaviour change at community level,” Kasinja said.
During the event, Navicha presented a K500,000 cheque to a producer of a popular radio spot on Early Childhood Development in recognition of their contribution to promoting positive early childhood stimulation messaging.
The Ministry said lessons from the campaign will inform future interventions aimed at scaling up early childhood development programs. Navicha emphasized that investing in the early years is key to building a skilled, healthy, and productive population.
The Mwana 1.5 Campaign reached caregivers across the country through radio, combining entertainment with evidence-based messages to shift parenting norms and improve child outcomes.
