Sidama National Regional State became the latest Ethiopian region to launch a holistic, government-led early childhood development program, following the examples of Addis Ababa, Dire Dawa and Oromia.
Photo: Beyene Berassa, Vice President and Head of the Regional Bureau of Education, Sidama National Regional State, launching the region’s early childhood development program.
The launch followed the completion of a baseline assessment led by the African Center for Early Childhood Development in Addis Ababa in partnership with Hawassa University in Sidama. The baseline showed that children under the age of 6 are five times more likely to be off track in their development than the international norm, a state of affairs that the regional government pledged to remedy with the highest urgency.
At the launch event, Vice President Beyene Berassa, who also leads the Regional Bureau of Education, declared, “Children who learn, play, and grow today are the ones who will build the future of our country.” The region is working with the African Center for Early Childhood Development to develop a road map that targets the key strategic interventions identified by the baseline assessment.
“Evidence-driven decision-making is the key to effectively prioritizing early childhood development interventions that improve outcomes,” said Dr. Kebede Worku, the CEO of the African Center. He pledged the Center’s support to reinforce the political commitment expressed by Sidama Region’s leadership.
