Post News Network
Bhubaneswar: The state government has signed two memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with the Bernard van Leer Foundation (BvLF) here Thursday to improve opportunities for children below eight years of age.
The first MoU signed between social welfare director RP Singh and BvLF board member Michael Feigelson in the presence of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, aims to provide early childhood education in the mother tongue in anganwadi centres of the 12 tribal districts of Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Ganjam, Gajapati, Rayagada, Koraput, Malkangiri, Nawrangpur, Sambalpur, Sundergarh, Balasore and Kandhamal.
BvLF, an international grant-making organisation based in The Hague, would invest 1.5 million euros (more than Rs11 crore) over the next three years (2016-2019) in 6,681 anganwadi centres in these districts. This would benefit about 2,50,000 children. The foundation would set up a programme management unit (PMU) in the office of the Orissa State Child Protection Society (OSCPS) to implement the programme in the state.
The second MoU was signed between the vice-chairman of the Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) and the director of National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA) Jagan Shah with the aim of making Bhubaneswar child friendly smart city.
The agency would invest 832,330 euros (less than `7 crore) over three years to address the various issues emerging out of rapid urbanisation and assist BDA in developing an advanced and effective planning and management framework.
The foundation has provided funds to NIUA for setting up a Child Friendly Smart City (CFSC) center at Bhubaneswar that would be responsible for capacity building of town planners and staff of BMC and BDA.
Patnaik said Orissa has been recognised as pioneering state in the field of early childhood care and education. “The state has taken important steps such as adoption of ‘Nua Arunima’ curriculum. The collaboration with BvLF will further give a boost to the state initiatives through capacity building support to the field functionaries and development of teaching related materials,” he said.
The support provided by BvLF to NIUA in setting up the child friendly smart city centre at Bhubaneswar would help develop a knowledge driven and future-compatible planning, management and governance framework that takes into account children’s participation and perspective in the planning process, he said.
