Actress Ma Yili shared her first hand experiences during her visit to Liping County of Guizhou Province to learn about the integrated approaches to United Nation Children's Fund (UNICEF) Early Childhood Development project for kids up to three years old.

"I was so impressed by these young active children. They were so engaged, stimulated and thriving," Ma, who made the trip in September, said during a press conference held in the UNICEF China office in Beijing on Thursday.

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"As a mother, I realized how important it is for parents and communities to learn about ECD," she said, stressing the importance of good nutrition, healthcare, stimulation, responsive caring, and safe environment in the early years of children's lives.

Making her first ever field trip after being appointed as UNICEF Ambassador for China, Ma paid a visit to the local health clinic in Huanggang Village of Liping County, where families with youngsters were given primary health care services including child growth monitoring, development screening, and counseling and nutritional intervention, China People's Daily reported.

Ma expressed happiness to see that breastfeeding is popular in rural regions, saying she met some mothers nursing their young ones, with some babies more than one or two years old.

She also hailed the social workers who make home visits as well as interview and assess poor families' difficult situations, China Entertainment News noted.

"They [social workers] help identify the urgent needs of children and support the families to receive critical social assistance through such means as medical insurance or low-income subsidy. I think the role of the social worker is very important here."

Liping County is one of the four counties severely hit by poverty. UNICEF is cooperating with the National Health and Family Planning Commission, the Ministry of Civil Affairs, and the All-China Women's Federation to provide a comprehensive package of ECD services for the young ones.

TagsMa Yili, UNICEF ambassador, UNICEF, Early Child Development project, UNICEF ECD, UNICEF ECD China