FNB through the FirstRand Namibia Foundation Trust, recently presented the Amos Meerkat Early Childhood Development (ECD) initiative with a donation of N$500,000 at a fundraising breakfast held in Windhoek.
Speaking at the event, FirstRand Namibia CSI manager Revonia Job highlighted the importance of Early Childhood Development to a child’s learning future potential.
“The early years of a child’s life set the tone for the rest of their lives. Their experiences are built, moment by moment, as they interact with their environments thus early childhood offers a critical window of opportunity to shape the trajectory of their holistic development and build a foundation for their future. This is why early childhood education programmes like those facilitated by Amos Meerkat aim to nurture healthy development from the earliest years while also providing training to youths from the communities to become ECD teachers. These Programmes provide enriched experiences and have the strongest influence on children especially for those from disadvantaged backgrounds. FNB remains committed to putting young children first by ensuring quality early childhood development for our country’s youngest citizens” she said.
During the 2022/23 financial year, the programme has benefited a total of 4800 children, 238 teachers and 21 monitors in various regions across the country including Kunene, Kavango East, Oshana, Erongo, Hardap, Khomas, Karas, Otjozondupa and Omaheke.