How Bijie City in southwest China invests in rural children's development(3)

The more, the merrier 

"It is a multigenerational approach to early childhood development, which is a global challenge. We don't have enough models in many countries to, for example, effectively support grandparents and show them how they can encourage their grandchildren's learning. One very positive thing I saw today was how grandparents are being supported. This is necessary in the context of Guizhou Province," said Hirokazu Yoshikawa, a professor of Globalization and Education at the NYU Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development in New York City, at the work exchange meeting.

Ely Harasawa, former National Secretary for the Promotion of Human Development of Brazil's Ministry of Citizenship, commented at the meeting that "the parenting coach can be a 'complementary companion' for the parents because the sharing of emotions, worries, doubts, difficulties and happiness with a peer can be a very rich experience." This feeling of connection can in turn help the program to better benefit families, she added.

In 2021, based on the experiences amassed and results generated by the program in Bijie and other regions, the CDRF and the Bijie Municipal Government jointly launched the Rural Child Demonstration Development Zone in the Bijie Pilot Area, aka the first rural children development demonstration area project in an underdeveloped area of China.

Today, the Bijie Pilot Area focuses on children's nutrition, education, healthcare and overall protection, and conducts comprehensive active involvement work at the different developmental stages of rural children aged 0 to 18. 

"It's so exciting to see a leadership so committed to early childhood development that understands that it is the heart of the family, the community, society, the economy and nation as well," said David Harrison, CEO of South Africa's DG Murray Trust, adding that the role that the local government plays in ensuring infrastructure is in place has been essential to the project's success.

The international experts also had some suggestions for the local government to look into. "I think a future direction for multigenerational programs is to pay attention to the mental health of both adults and children simultaneously," Yoshikawa added. For example, postpartum depression affects many young mothers, so people need to take a better approach during the prenatal period and in the first six months after childbirth to reduce the chances of it occurring. 

Bijie has already taken the first steps to get more actively involved in this field, and the local completion rates of prenatal examinations are on the up.

"I come from Chile, a small country on the other side of the world. But we have the same problems. I think this work is important, but it is also necessary for all children in all of China, in all of the rest of the world," concluded Helia Molina, Chile's former Minister of Health and a professor at the Faculty of Medical Sciences at the University of Santiago, at the meeting.