RPC’s mark World Children’s Day with investment to enhance Early Childhood Development 

The Planters’ Association of Ceylon (PA) is marking World Children’s Day 2020 with a pledge to establish 35 Child Development Centres (CDC’s) on estates belonging to their membership of 21 Regional Plantation Companies (RPC). 
This will add the total number of CDC’s on RPC estates to 258. The setting up of these centres will be carried out by the Plantation Human Development Trust (PHDT), a tripartite organisation of RPC’s, plantation trade unions and Government of Sri Lanka, the PA said in a media release. 
Although early childhood development care started in the plantations only in 2015, as of now 223 such centres have over 30,000 children, being taken care of by qualified teachers, all of whom are diploma holders in early childhood development. 
“Our vision is to make sure that no child is left behind and any investments we have made towards early development of children on our estates is so that they may thrive and have the mind-set for  opportunities, which their parents did not have,” said Chairman Planters’ Association, Bhathiya Bulumulla.
“The work being carried out at our advanced Child Development Centres through the outstanding efforts of our dedicated officers represents a major advancement from the early custodial structures that used to exist. It is testament to how far child development and protection has come in our estates, supported by generous investments from RPCs. We will continue to promote the growth of our youth - investing in our future means investing in our children,” Mr. Bulumulla emphasized. 
 

One of the new centres.