Recognizing the Importance of Early Childhood Development

Every child’s development begins in the womb. As their body begins to develop during initial stages, they not only need constant care but also need quality provisions such as hygiene, diet and a good environment. According to World Health Organisation (WHO) fact sheet, Early Childhood Development (ECD) takes place from birth until the child is of eight years.

World Health Day, observed last week, helps us understand and recognise the different aspects of people’s health. Being considered as one of the top NGOs in the country, Akshaya Patra is doing its bit by feeding millions of children every day with nutritious wholesome meals and the organisation would like to reiterate a few factors that play an important role in the development of every child.

Child’s health

The initial stage of a child is sensitive and vulnerable – the child would need constant care as they go through feeding and development. Through clean water and good food, a child’s health can be prioritized. However, the most important checklist to ensure every child is healthy is vaccinations against infections and diseases. One of India’s wide spread case was polio and in 2014, WHO reported that India was polio-free (after having no fresh reports for three consecutive years).

Environment & experiences

Child’s environment and the experiences they go through help them in developing their mind. Let’s say, a child is visiting a park – the kind of environment, conversations, experiences and observations will define a child’s understanding about the surrounding. Therefore, it is very crucial to expose the child to a positive environment and also help them and allow them to experience different aspects of life – childhood and learning.

Education

Schools expose children different people, different subjects and will also brighten their mind with knowledge. The ECD phase (when the child is in primary school), they start forming discovering different subjects and topics of interest.

How is Akshaya Patra playing a role in children’s life?

The Akshaya Patra Foundation is an NGO in India feeding over 1.6 million school children every day with nutritious meals. The organisation takes pride in having encouraged millions of children, through mid-day meals, to enroll in schools and be a part of education system. With support from government, corporates, donors and many volunteers who have contributed to the cause, the organisation has grown in leaps and bounds. Today, the organisation is feeding the children in 11 states of India with Mid-Day Meal and Anganwadi feeding programme.

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