Programme Director
Hon. Minister of Health, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi
South African Chairman of BHP Billiton, Dr. Mkhwanazi
PATH Vice President for Field Programmes, Dr Ayo Ajayi
Ladies and Gentlemen
I am delighted to be given the opportunity to speak in support of this auspicious occasion that is targeting a very critical group of our society, which is children. I would like to start by commending BHP Billiton for raising the bar and indicating to other counties that social investment is a very critical element of creating a sustainable economy and progressive social development.
There is no doubt in my mind that our struggle to change the lives of poor children for the better will be half won if more companies and organisations followed this example and made a sterling contribution.
As government, we regard private companies as very important potential partners, who are critical in delivering sustained development to the people of this country. We are all here today to forge a positive partnership that is intended at addressing the needs of our children.
The importance of providing basic services for the development of the child, such as good nutrition, early childhood development, improved education and better health services, especially for children in rural and farm areas as well as those living in the many informal settlements across the country, cannot be over emphasized.
I am convinced that the partnership established here today will have far reaching positive outcomes, through consistent promotion of these basic services. Early Childhood Development (ECD) is on the list of top priorities of the South African Government. The key mandate of the Department of Women, Children and People with Disabilities (DWCPD) is to mainstream the realisation of the rights of children, including their right to health, nutrition as well as the right to quality education. The Department is coordinating the activities that key departments have to perform towards the realisation of the rights of children.
The DWCPD provides continuous support to institutions to ensure the fulfilment of the rights of children as well as building capacity. The other core mandate of the Department (DWCPD) is to monitor service delivery implementation to ensure that the rights of children are protected, promoted and fulfilled. The National Plan of Action for Children in South Africa, which the Department of Women, Children and People with Disabilities (DWCPD) is currently reviewing, provides a comprehensive and detailed account of services that are critical to all the developmental stages of children.
I believe you will agree with me that the first one thousand days are very critical in the developmental phase of a child. Research has revealed that children who go through the early childhood development programmes tend to perform better at lower school level and even go further to achieve well in subsequent school grades.
As we all strive to have our children performing well in subjects like science and mathematics, we need to work collectively to ensure that ample opportunities are being created for more children to have access to early childhood development in order to build a better equipped society for tomorrow.
Ladies and gentlemen, government has supported the ECD Programme through a number of initiatives. The Expanded Public Works Programme has since the year 2009, increased children’s access to critical ECD services. This EPWP programme has also created many job opportunities in this sector.
According to our baseline, the enrollment on ECD Programme through Grade R increased from three hundred and thirty thousand in 2003, to seven hundred and seven thousand in 2010. This number can be increased further if more civil society organisations and the private sector can work together with government, as it is demonstrated by this noble initiative by BHP Billiton today.
It takes the whole community to raise a child. From community organisations, interest groups, non-profit organisations, private companies and government, we all have a common obligation of ensuring that we give the best environment to our children.
The inclusion of previously marginalised children such as children with disabilities and children coming from poor families should be our priority. ECD can be turned into an effective strategy that can be used to bridge gaps that were created by historical systems and the scourge of poverty in our society.
As a country we cannot continue to operate within the disparities of the previous system. We need to fast track change and ensure that the inequalities of the past are addressed vigorously, especially where the focus is on promoting education and development.
By so doing chances of breaking the shackles of poverty will be increased greatly. As a department, we are in support of this great initiative by BHP Billiton, and would like to encourage other role players, in following this noble example.
I thank you.