Shillong, Apr 28: The Meghalaya Early Childhood Development Mission (MECDM), the nodal agency under Meghalaya’s Social Welfare Department, today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Social Service Centre (SSC) — the social wing of the Archdiocese of Shillong — marking a landmark step in embedding early childhood development (ECD) into the faith-based ecosystem of Meghalaya.
The ceremony was attended by parish priests from all 47 parishes of the Archdiocese of Shillong alongside senior officials of MECDM and the Church leadership. In a significant gesture, all participants were provided with MECDM’s Mission 1000 Days Booklet and the MECDM Faith-Based Organisation (FBO) Pamphlet — resource materials to equip faith leaders with science-backed ECD knowledge for use in sermons, counselling and community outreach.
MECDM CEO Sampath Kumar said, “This subject is not only the subject of government — it is the subject of society and the church. The church reaches families every week. If you can encourage parents — even for 10–15 minutes — asking how they are playing with their children, how they are nurturing them, it will make a long difference. Early childhood development is the most powerful idea of this century.”
Fr. Teiborlang Lyngdoh, Director, Social Service Centre, meanwhile, stated, “Children are like wet cement — whatever falls on them makes an impression.”- Haim Ginot. Today, Social Service Centre joins hands with the Meghalaya Early Childhood Development Mission to help our communities create an environment where children are properly cared for and nurtured. This is our commitment to responsible parenthood and to the future of our society.”
