Understanding Early Childhood Care and Development, with Pema and Karma!

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the lives of children, including those in their earliest years, in many ways. Parents and caregivers had to step up in ways like never before in terms of supporting remote learning and keeping children engaged in innovative ways. While children who have access to Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) centres were meaningfully engaged due to the efforts of the ECCD facilitators and caregivers/parents, those who lacked this critical access are at risk of being left behind.

Recognizing the need to advocate on the importance of ECCD as well as address the misconceptions surrounding ECCD, as highlighted in the 2020 ECCD Evaluation of Bhutan report, the Ministry of Education and UNICEF Bhutan developed a series of ECCD advocacy multimedia content for dissemination across the country. These audio and video clips not only serve an important advocacy purpose but will also be a resource for ECCD facilitators and stakeholders.

We introduce two friends – Pema, a curious and enthusiastic girl enrolled in an ECCD centre, and her friend, Karma, a determined boy with a disability who also enjoys being at the ECCD. Pema and Karma will expose us to a world where ECCD is fun, play-based, inclusive, and engaging. Their journey will give us more insights into parenting along with the critical roles all of us play in nurturing children.