Aid in Action

USAID Gives Pandeglang Children a Head Start

Pandeglang | Thursday, September 28, 2006

Nearly fifty women and children are crowded under the shade of a tree in Margagiri, a small village tucked into the hills of Pandeglang, Banten Province. Watching the community health volunteer, or kader, who stands before them, they sing in unison while pointing to their eyes, noses, heads, and hands. 

With USAID support, gatherings like this are happening all over Pandeglang. Through a partnership with Project Concern International (PCI), USAID is helping to implement Posyandu Tumbuh Kembang Anak (TKA), or “Community Health Services for Children’s Growth and Development.” The project encompasses 30 remote villages, and teaches mothers about proper nutrition, parenting skills, and ways to stimulate and educate their children. 

Sri Hartati, a mother of two children, has been involved in the project for only three months, but already she’s seen the benefits.  Her four-year-old daughter, Mita, often wants to study instead of play, and she herself has learned much about good hygiene, cooking healthy food, and children’s development.

An element of the USAID-sponsored CHOICE (Child Health Opportunities Integrated with Community Empowerment) program, Posyandu TKA has helped nearly 2300 children under the age of five through the twice weekly sessions.  With their mothers alongside them, the children learn educational songs, basic drawing skills, and the importance of brushing their teeth and washing their hands.