23 April

As part of efforts for building the nation’s human resources, the Union Government is providing monetary assistance to pregnant women and new mothers so they have access to good nutrition, and children up to two years of age have better care. In addition, it is also providing aid to people living with disabilities and there are plans to roll out pension for the elderly in Chin State.

The Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief, and Resettlement has provided more than K889 million to 30,177 children aged under two, over K80 million to nearly 2,700 people with disabilities, cash assistance to 13 philanthropic centres, childcare centres and nurseries, and youth centres through authorities in Chin State. There are plans to disburse cash assistance in the form of social pensions to the elderly, aged 85 and above, in Chin State, which is not easily accessible by road.

From the time a child is conceived until the age of two, proper brain development is vital and therefore, the government has been raising awareness about nutrition in addition to providing K15,000 to new mothers so they get sufficient nutrition, especially while they are breastfeeding.

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As the efforts of the Ministry would directly benefit the people, the respective departments and social organizations in the regions and states must work with the Ministry to ensure it can carry out its work as effectively as possible.

The greater the cooperation between the ministries and civil society organizations that are helping relieve the problems of the people, the greater will be the benefit to the people.

On the path to making Myanmar peaceful and prosperous, we can overcome all challenges through collective efforts.

At the same time, advice from local CSOs can be very helpful for the socio-economic development of the people in the regions and states.

The Department of Social Welfare began implementing the Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) and Child Protection Programme in December last year.

Successful implementation of the ECCD Strategy requires cooperation from each parent, teacher, and relevant department, and ultimately, all the people living in the country.

In order to create a good strategic shift for our country, the direction of the strategy needs to be understood and there is a need for all stakeholders to make the push together.

The implementation of work processes and the time frames need to be systematic. Projects drawn sector-wise and region-wise must not only meet the requirements, but must also be implementable.

It is very important for the ministries and the state and region governments to plan and conduct annual projects so they include all the people and ensure that there are connections and linkages throughout.

GNLM