Tuulikki Abraham
Lüderitz-Deputy Minister of Gender Equality and Child Welfare Lucia Witbooi last Friday officiated at the opening of an Early Childhood Development Centre (ECD) in Lüderitz that was renovated by Anglo American Namibia Foundation (AANF) at a cost of N$750,000.
During the ceremony, Witbooi said the ECD investment has the potential to yield greater returns for the family and for the child as an individual. According to education researchers, small children generally spend most hours of the day away from their parents in childcare facilities, taken care by care providers.
Witbooi said over the past years, government efforts to support construction of Early Childhood Development Centre (ECD) facilities in the regions increased, to improve access to affordable early childhood development services for young children in poor and rural areas.
Witbooi applauded Anglo American Namibia Foundation for a job well done by renovating the centre and urged other others in the private sector to emulate their example and come on board to assist with its maintenance in order to form a strong foundation for the children of the country.
She urged leaders to interact with the private sector for the private sector to open its doors to bring about development to communities.
AANF coordinator Richard Cook said the foundation has dedicated to intentionally refocus their corporate social responsibility towards investing in early childhood development in partnership with its stakeholders, such as the Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare.
“We also realise that this exercise has become a pressing need for the communities in our towns in Namibia,” Cook said. He added that AANF already in 2012 started to build its first ECD Rainbow Centre In Lüderitz and has so far been able to donate ten ECD centres in //Karas and Hardap regions, in places like Noordoever, Grünau, Lüderitz, Maltahöhe, Bethanie and Ariamsvlei.
Cook appealed to the private sector players in Lüderitz to assist in maintaining the running of the centre.
At the same occasion, Atushe Rock Lobster Company donated N$34,000, for the setting up of a playground at the Lüderitz ECD Centre, while Marco Fishing donated N$5,000.