Jakarta, 31 March 2026
SEAMEO RECFON officially conducted the initiation of the Early Childhood Care, Nutrition, and Education (ECCNE) Program Extenders 2026 through an Onboarding virtual session on Tuesday, 31 March 2026, marking a pivotal milestone in strengthening multi-stakeholder collaboration across seven program locations i.e Bangka, Brebes, East Lombok, Pekalongan, Maros, Solok, and Sambas. The Extender Program assignment represents a concrete implementation of the institution’s commitment to follow up the outcomes of the ECCNE Master of Trainer (MoT) online training.
This initiation event was attended by various high-level stakeholders along with the entire program implementation team, including the Heads of Bappeda, Bapperida, or Bapelitbang, as well as the Heads of Education District Offices from the seven program locations or their representatives. This meeting also served as an opportunity to strengthen coordination between the MoT ECCNE 2026 Team and all academic partners, along with the Program Extenders who were recently selected through an intensive selection process, to ensure the creation of solid synergy between policymakers and technical implementers in the field.
In his opening remarks, Dr. Herqutanto, MPH, MARS, Sp.KKLP, Acting Director of SEAMEO RECFON, emphasized the importance of cross-sectoral collaboration to ensure the successful implementation of the program. “These Program Extender teams are expected to serve as catalysts for the implementation of the ECCNE Program Action Plan (RTL) that was developed by the MoT teams following the previous training, particularly for the beginning of this semester,” he said.
During the subsequent session, Dr. Umi Fahmida, ECCNE Program Coordinator at SEAMEO RECFON, presented an overview of the achievements of the MoT ECCNE 2026 training and highlighted the readiness of teams across the program locations to proceed with program implementation. At this event, the assignment period for the Program Extender participants over the next three months, from April 1 to June 30, 2026, was also highlighted. These participants are all selected local youth who have passed thorough administrative and qualification screenings. They will fill a strategic role as a bridge between the central and regional teams while providing technical support to ensure that all planned activities align with the program’s established objectives.
A ceremonial transfer of Program Extenders was symbolically performed from SEAMEO RECFON to the Heads of Bappeda or their representatives from seven program locations.The official acceptance of these Program Extenders was also confirmed through the submission of a Letter of Commitment signed by the Head of Bappeda from each program location. Highlighting this collaboration’s impact, the Regent of Maros stated, “Support and assistance of the ECCNE Program in Maros District are crucial to our efforts to reduce stunting and improve the nutritional status of our children. We are optimistic that this program will be successful, and we fully support the presence of this Program Extender.”
Through this initiation event, SEAMEO RECFON expects the Program Extenders to carry out their roles professionally and adaptively, contributing to the effective implementation of the ECCNE Program across program locations which will be started from 1st of April to the end of 30th of June 2026. This collective effort is expected to support continuous improvements in early childhood care, nutrition, and education services, ultimately benefiting young children and communities in the targeted areas.