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The CCAP Synod of Livingstonia has voiced strong concern over what it calls the chronic underfunding and neglect of Early Childhood Education (ECD) in Malawi. The concern was raised during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Synod’s Early Childhood Development Department and the Nyika Media Club, held Wednesday at Ilala Crest Lodge in Mzuzu. Executive Director for the Synod’s ECD Department, Reverend Dr. Nase Chunga, said the sector remains “forgotten and underserved,” urging the media to help amplify its challenges and push for national attention. “We want Members of Parliament to start reflecting on issues concerning ECD. Caregivers are not paid, infrastructure is poor, and government allocation remains inadequate. The maximum government allocates is about K1 billion, yet the sector requires at least K36 billion,” Dr. Chunga lamented. Guest of Honour and Synod General Secretary, Reverend Dr. William Tembo, said the partnership with Nyika Media Club was strategic in promoting awareness and advocacy for Malawi’s youngest learners. “We expect the media to let the nation know what we are doing in this sector and what different stakeholders can do together to uplift the Malawian child from a tender age,” he said. Nyika Media Club Chairperson, Feston Malekezo, said the collaboration would help journalists better understand ECD issues and promote “solution-oriented journalism” in addressing the sector’s challenges. “As journalists, we have a role in identifying and contributing to solutions for challenges facing society. We are therefore obliged to practice solution journalism when it comes to Early Childhood Education,” said Malekezo. The MoU will run for one year before it is reviewed and evaluated.
