Aswin-Thapanee Techajaroenvikul, serving as Vice President, Committee Secretary and Treasurer of the BJC Big C Foundation, warmly greeted Kyungsun Kim, Thailand's UNICEF Representative, and her team at the Big C House Building's auditorium for the signing ceremony between the two organizations.
The collaboration between the BJC Big C Foundation and UNICEF aims to ensure that every child in Thailand receives a strong foundation for life and has the opportunity to learn and grow to their fullest potential in safe and supportive environments within their families, schools, and communities.
Thapanee Techajaroenvikul, representing the Foundation, emphasized the crucial role of early childhood development (ECD) in shaping a child's future. She highlighted the complexity of inequality in ECD, particularly among children from disadvantaged backgrounds such as those from low-income families, with parents lacking education, residing in rural areas, or having disabilities. The Foundation views investment in ECD as paramount, and the partnership with UNICEF demonstrates its dedication to driving significant progress in this area across Thailand.
The signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Foundation and UNICEF signifies the beginning of their joint efforts to advance quality ECD comprehensively and equitably throughout Thailand. Their collaboration aims to support UNICEF's initiatives in ECD, benefiting children and families nationwide, especially the most vulnerable, to ensure they can thrive and fulfil their potential in the years ahead.
Recent findings from the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey, the largest survey on women and children in Thailand, reveal disparities in developmental progress among children not attending early childhood education programs compared to those who do. The survey measures a child's developmental progress across learning, psychosocial well-being, and health domains, indicating whether they are on track for school readiness and reaching their full potential.
