Tanzania ECD HIV/AIDS Workshop – World Bank Closing Remarks

Presented by Mary E. Young

April 16, 2004

Honorable Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Community Development and Gender

On behalf of the World Bank (my colleagues here in Tanzania and from Washington), I thank each and every participants from the 5 countries: first our host country, United Republic of Tanzania, and the other countries Ghana, Malawi, Rwanda and Zambia for their contribution to address needs of young children infected or affected by HIV/AIDS. This workshop is the first of its kind in Africa, or as a matter of fact, worldwide.

Children ages 0-8 are most vulnerable whether they are infected with HIV or affected because of AIDS in their communities and families. ECD programs can help in significant ways to mediate and overcome all of these effects.

At the outset of this workshop: we stated 4 key expectations:.

First, a better understanding of the relationships between AIDS and ECD.

Second, how to access one of the available funding sources, namely, MAP

Third, instill a strong sense of common cause among the national team

Fourth, prepare an initial action plan (over 2 years), starting with specific 90 day implementation strategy.

You have accomplished all that in a short period of 3 days!! Congratulations!.

I like to emphasize an important message. ECD interventions for children and families affected by HIV/AIDS depend on support from both the public and private sectors and will only be effective if there is a strong working partnership between government and civil organizations. No single sector can do this alone.

The lessons learned in Africa (and all other word regions) underscore the need to develop infrastructure for ECD from the bottom up. Strong, national policies and institutions can complement community initiatives, but they cannot and do not substitute local capacity and commitment for ECD. ECD must begin within the community. This is a key repeated lesson from all successful programs. This was well demonstrated yesterday by the colleagues from Tanzania’s Amani Onsomble, Malawi’s community dialogue, Ghana’s Queen Mother program.

Government’s substantial role is to fund CSOs and to empower the civil society — to enable them to address the many problems associated with HIV/AIDS in the community. Civil society organizations (CSOs) represent virtually all ECD stakeholders outside of the public sector. They include grassroots organizations, faith-based organizations, national and international NGOs, and women’s groups.

In each country, the National Council for AIDS can and need to support civil society organizations and ministries. All of whom have a vital role in responding to the needs of young children affected by HIV/AIDS.

The World Bank stands ready to support your endeavor.

James P. Grant’s words remain with us today---

“The vital vulnerable years of childhood should be given a first call on societies’ concerns and capacities..there will never be anything more important…let’s organize to do it.”

Dr. Conteh, from Zambia captured the opinions of the participants loud and clear --- “ECD is not an “option.” It is a ”must “on each National HIV/AIDS agenda.