Actress Ma Yili promotes early child care project
- By Zhang Rui
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E-mail China.org.cn, October 21, 2016
Renowned Chinese actress Ma Yili has shared her experiences of a visit to Liping County of Guizhou Province to learn about the integrated approaches to United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Early Childhood Development (ECD) project for youngsters up to three years of age.
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Chinese actress Ma Yili poses for a photo with Karin Hulshof, UNICEF regional director for East Asia and Pacific, Rana Flowers, UNICEF representative to China and Yang Qi, assistant director of the National Centre for Women and Children's Health, at a press conference held in the UNICEF China office, Oct. 20, 2016. [Photo by Zhang Rui / China.org.cn] |
Ma made the field trip in September, which was her first after her appointment as UNICEF Ambassador for China.
"I was so impressed by these active young children. They were so engaged, stimulated and thriving," she told a press conference held in the UNICEF China office in Beijing on Thursday. "As a mother, I realize how important it is for parents and communities to learn about ECD. Children need good nutrition, healthcare, stimulation, responsive caring and a safe environment starting from the earliest period of their lives."
Ma visited the local health clinic in Huanggang Village of Liping County, where families with young children have received primary healthcare services including child growth monitoring, development screening, counseling and nutritional intervention.
"In the village, I met a few mothers breastfeeding their babies. I was so happy to see that breastfeeding is a popular practice in rural areas. Some of the babies are more than one or two years of age."
Located in the southeast of Guizhou Province, Liping County is one of the four national-level poverty-stricken counties where UNICEF is working with the National Health and Family Planning Commission (NHFPC), the Ministry of Civil Affairs (MCA) and the All-China Women's Federation (ACWF) to provide a comprehensive package of community-based ECD services including health, nutrition, early stimulation and child protection for youngsters.
Latest global evidence shows that, in the first 1,000 days of life from conception, there is an early window of opportunity to provide nurturing care (nutrition, early learning, responsive care, hygiene, sanitation and security) that children need for their brains to develop fully and to help fulfill their potential.
Ma was also impressed by the outreach and support provided by social workers to the most vulnerable families with young children. "I learned the social worker often makes home visits, talking to parents and learning about the difficult situation of the poor families."
"They help identify the urgent needs of children and support the families to receive critical social assistance through such means as medical insurance or low-income subsidy. I think the role of the social worker is very important here."
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