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Pacific | UNICEF

Early childhood: NZ commits $4.4m to Unicef projects in North Pacific

Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters greets a student at Nett Elementary school in Pohnpei. Photo: PMN / Ala Vailala

New Zealand will allocate NZ$4.4 million to back Unicef-led projects focused on advancing early childhood development in the North Pacific.

Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters and his delegation visited Nett Elementary school in Pohnpei, one of four islands making up the Federated States of Micronesia, to announce the development project.

Peters said it was important to support the well-being of children across the Pacific and was a notable development commitment for New Zealand.

Wheelbarrows supplied NZ's Foreign Ministry and Unicef containing key supplies.

“This focus is underpinned by a commitment to longer-term economic development for the benefit of current and future generations.”

He plans to meet President Wesley Simina, Vice-President Aren Palik, Secretary of Foreign Affairs Lorin Robert, and the FSM Congressional Committee on Foreign Affairs.

“Our engagements here in FSM are a vital opportunity to hear the perspectives of local political leaders, deepen our understanding of Micronesian priorities, and show our continued commitment to the region.”

They will discuss shared priorities and exchange perspectives on regional issues.

Chief of UNICEF for the North Pacific office Cromwell Bacareza said they will be regrouping with their ECD colleagues to put in place a plan that compliments New Zealand’s investment.

Chief of UNICEF for the North Pacific office Cromwell Bacareza.

New Zealand has a long history with supporting countries like the Federated States of Micronesia in Early childhood development, he said.

Another UNICEF-project New Zealand is supporting is their initiative called ′Building Better Brains’ where it looks at the policies and co-ordination mechanisms behind early childhood development.

Students at Nett Elementary school in Pohnpei wave Micronesian and New Zealand flags.

Bacareza described New Zealand’s investment as the “fun part,” as it engages children in cooking with locally sourced ingredients and gardening.

“If they do cooking they can pick from the garden where they planted so it’s more making schools as entry points for children to develop.”

Omar Lucas Mori, a student from Pohnpei Catholic School, speaks about his experience attending schools in the Federated States of Micronesia.

Peters is accompanied in FSM by the Labour Pacific caucus chair Jenny Salesa; foreign affairs, defence and trade committee chair Tim van de Molen; and foreign affairs committee member Teanau Tuiono.

The Federated States of Micronesia is the third stop on the group’s four-country tour, following visits to Fiji and the Republic of the Marshall Islands.