2008-05-09Staff Report 2 "By Anna Ingwafa OSHAKATI Children relocated to the Oshoopala Reception Centre after their families were displaced by recent floods in the northern parts have received learning materials from the Minister of Gender Equality and Child Welfare, Marlene Mungunda. Mungunda explained that when she visited the flood victims in March, she noted that there are challenges when it comes to pregnant women and children, orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) and early childhood development (ECD). ""The Government is committed to the wellbeing of the children and this practice will be free in order to ensure that every child in these camps has access to education. It is the children's prerogative right according to the Namibian constitution to have access to education,"" said Mungunda. The national early childhood development policy was adopted by Cabinet in 1996. It caters for the establishment of early childhood programmes in relation to national development and defines the respective roles of the Government, NGOs, parents and the local communities in the provision of support to early childhood development. According to Mungunda, the ministry will train the caregivers and cater for their payment. Some of the children in these centres are being offered pre-school education and pay N$25 per month, which quite a number of parents cannot afford. Oshakati mayor Katrina Shimbulu assured the minister that there is already a tent available for commencement of classes. Mungunda promised that tables and chairs and some additional items will be delivered next week. The donated items will be kept at a temporary storage at the reception centre. Oshoopala Reception Centre has over 300 children under the age of five. The centre mostly accommodated flood victims from Oshoopala informal settlement, one of the heavily affected locations in Oshakati. On the latest development on flood victims, Ongwediva Town Council vacated all the flood victims that were sheltered at Greenwell Matongo yesterday. " 2008-05-09Staff Report 2
