Bhutan: Locals in Phuentsholing Thromde welcome opening of Childhood Care and Development Centre
Oct 22, 2023
Thimphu [Bhutan], October 22 : The first Early Childhood Care and Development Centre (ECCD) for the municipality of Phuentsholing Thromde has been warmly received by the locals, reported Bhutan Live.
It is anticipated that it will help youngsters from low-income families. There aren't any public ECCD facilities yet in Phuentshogling Thromde.
The Phendey Early Childhood Care and Development Centre, a building constructed at a cost of Nu 5.5 million, was inaugurated on Thursday.
The creation of the new ECCD by the Thromde office took close to five years. The epidemic first prevented work from being completed, and then facilitators were not available. However, the parents are pleased that the ECCD is now open and that their kids may attend it just like other kids.
"We cannot afford to send our children to private daycare centres. We have to keep our children at home and these days, children are so much into mobile phones. With such facilities, our children can learn a lot and we are so happy," Bhutan Live quoting Chimmi, a parent saying.
Meanwhile, another parent Kinzang Dhendup said, "We are not able to send our children to private daycare centres, so today we are extremely grateful for getting such an opportunity. We usually keep our children home and this way, I feel they can get spoilt as they are always into mobile phones. It also affects their eyes."
Only 70 children could be accepted out of the nearly 200 applicants, according to Thromde officials, Bhutan Live reported.
"There are many low-income people in the Thromde area. Those who can afford to send their children to private ECCDs but those who cannot afford to leave their children at home. For the progress of the nation, we should be able to provide equal opportunities to all children. So, while enrolling the children here, we did it very carefully so that the private centres are not affected and at the same time, the needy ones get the opportunity. We targeted children of those parents who are earning less than 10,000 ngultrum a month," said Uttar Kumar Rai, the Phuentshogling Thrompon, according to Bhutan Live.
