Ms. Abeba Habtom, head of preschool services at the Ministry of Education, reported that, as a result of the substantial investment made during the 2024/2025 academic year, the number of preschools nationwide increased by more than 240%.
Ms. Abeba went on to say that the number of preschools increased from 828 to 2,004 during the 2025/2026 academic year. She also said that preschool enrolment increased from about 65,000 to 128,500; capacity-building training programs are being organized for preschool teachers in all regions of the country; and teaching materials are being prepared in all the country’s languages.
Noting that preschool services are very important for nurturing children in all aspects of their lives, Ms. Abeba said that attending preschool helps children develop self-confidence, creativity and communication skills, as well as an understanding of their society’s social, cultural and moral values.
According to documents, there are currently 444 preschools in the Gash Barka Region, 337 in the Northern Red Sea Region, 667 in the Southern Region, 304 in the Anseba Region, 175 in the Central Region, and 77 in the Southern Red Sea Region.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Information, Eritrea.
A meeting aimed at strengthening youth organization was conducted in the Abo-Kiloma administrative area, Southern Denkalia sub-zone, Southern Red Sea Region, on 22 August.
Mr. Mohammed Idris, head of the National Union of Eritrean Youth and Students in the sub-zone, said that the objective of the meeting was to enhance the overall awareness of the youth and enable them to participate actively in national affairs and in the implementation of the Union’s programs.
Noting the significance of the active participation of young people in ensuring the desired transformation of society, Mr. Osman Abdelkadir, head of the National Union of Eritrean Youth and Students in the Southern Red Sea Region, called for a stronger role by the youth in promoting the use of educational opportunities, particularly among young women in the Abo-Kiloma administrative area.
Commending the efforts being exerted to organize the youth and raise their awareness, Mr. Ali Burhan, administrator of the area, expressed the administration’s readiness to play its part in supporting the efforts of the Union branch.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Information, Eritrea.
Rising debt payments are crowding out health spending in Africa’s poorest countries, and out-of-pocket medical costs push 150 million people into poverty every year, the UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) warned today at the opening of the 76th Session of the WHO Regional Committee for Africa, held at the Adwa Museum under the theme “Roots and Wings – Heritage Meets Digital Health.”
Speaking on behalf of Executive Secretary Mr Claver Gatete, ECA Chief of Staff Mr Aboubakri Diaw told health ministers that Africa’s health sector “does not only suffer from a financing gap. It also suffers from a confidence gap; and confidence, unlike capital, cannot be borrowed. It must be built.” The session was opened by President Taye Atske Selassie of Ethiopia, joined by AU Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf and WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and Dr Mohamed Yakub Janabi, WHO Regional Director for Africa,
To make the stakes tangible, Mr Diaw described “Amina,” a composite small-business owner who delays care for fear of its cost, then faces bills that force her to sell equipment and cut jobs. “What began as one person’s illness has become a household financial crisis… and, when repeated across millions of families, a macroeconomic problem,” he said, citing three converging pressures: external health assistance down almost 30 per cent while debt servicing now outpaces health spending in the median low-income country; out-of-pocket payments averaging 35 per cent of health expenditure regionally, above the WHO benchmark of 20 per cent; and national strategies that remain uncosted and unsequenced, making financing harder to attract.
To close that gap, ECA is asking ministers to make three shifts. First, health ministries should bring finance ministries a quantified investment case, not just a request, tied to productivity and growth. Second, countries should replace fragmented plans with one politically endorsed national health-financing compact spanning health, finance, planning, revenue, debt, insurance and private-sector actors, “putting more money into a fragmented system can finance more fragmentation,” Mr Diaw said, whereas “putting money behind a credible national compact can finance transformation.” Third, governments should match financing instruments to their own fiscal starting point; early data from ECA’s adopter countries shows health receiving just 5 to 9 per cent of budgets while out-of-pocket costs can reach 64 per cent of health spending. This work sits under ECA’s African Initiative on Transforming Health Financing, launched in Tangier in April 2026.
Mr Diaw also urged governments to treat digital health as financing infrastructure, noting that fewer than a third of health systems in low-income settings can track spending digitally in real time, a gap he called “among the fastest efficiency gains that should be met and made available to any treasury.” He cited Ethiopia’s digital health drive under Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, the AU’s AI and Digital Health Champion, as a model for tracing every Birr or Franc from budget to patient, turning digital health, he said, from “a project” into “a financing revolution.”
Mr Diaw said success would be measured not by declarations but by whether people like Amina can seek care early without losing their livelihoods. “Health is not what we spend when Africa grows. Health is how Africa grows.” ECA said it stands ready to help turn this ambition into financed, measurable action.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA).
Thank you very much, Your Excellency Brother Badr Abdelatty.
First, I would like to extend my thanks to you for your generous hospitality and warm reception, and to thank Their Excellencies the ministers for what they have provided and contributed to our meetings today—the meeting of the bilateral committee.
Of course, as Your Excellency mentioned, Qatar-Egypt relations are fraternal relations with a long history, depth, and strong foundations. We are always seeking to fulfill the aspirations of our two leaderships and our two brotherly peoples. God willing, with every meeting of the Qatari-Egyptian bilateral committee, we see progress and move into another phase of developing these relations.
We were honored this morning to meet with His Excellency President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi. I believe Brother Badr referred to the key issues discussed during the meeting, but the meeting was held in a fraternal atmosphere, and there were in-depth discussions regarding the security and stability of the region, particularly the situation in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank in occupied Palestine, developments in the Iranian-American war, and the status of navigation and security in the Gulf.
We also discussed during our meeting with His Excellency the importance of working bilaterally and collectively with our brothers in the region to enhance security and stability and consolidate peace in the region, particularly in light of the sensitive circumstances we are currently experiencing. His Excellency the President also affirmed his support for working together to identify alternatives and solutions for supply chains, as His Excellency mentioned, whether through shipping lines or in various other areas.
I was also honored to meet with His Excellency Brother Dr. Mostafa Madbouly, Prime Minister of the sisterly Arab Republic of Egypt. We discussed the most important joint projects between the State of Qatar and the sisterly Arab Republic of Egypt, and we were very pleased to witness the launch of the Alam Al-Roum project. God willing, this will also be an addition to the projects being undertaken by Qatari Diar and Qatari investments in the sisterly Arab Republic of Egypt.
We witnessed the signing of four agreements in the areas of customs cooperation and regulatory work, in addition to cooperation in the fields of education and health, as well as the establishment of His Highness the Amir Hospital in Sohag Governorate. We look forward to this also constituting a qualitative leap for the healthcare sector for our brothers in the governorate. We also look forward to exploring future opportunities, God willing, in various fields, whether in the industrial sector, particularly in the pharmaceutical industries.
Of course. Given the circumstances the region is going through, I discussed several regional issues with my brother Badr today, foremost among them the situation in the Gaza Strip and, primarily, in the occupied Palestinian territories. Of course, we are now at a pivotal stage following the Palestinian factions’ announcement that they had accepted the peace plan and were prepared to move forward with the arrangements related to the collection of weapons. The ball is now in the Israeli side’s court.
To be honest, there have been significant efforts, and the partnership and joint work we undertook with our brothers in Egypt and Türkiye to reach this stage were intensive efforts that demanded a great deal from us in order to achieve this breakthrough. We had thought that there would at least be a positive response from the Israeli side to implement commitments that, even from the first phase, it has yet to fulfill. However, as we have come to expect, instead of responding positively to these developments, it has continued its violations to this day, targeting civilians and escalating settlement activities, in addition to continuing its unlimited attacks, which take place without deterrence, whether in Lebanon or in Syria.
Today, there is a key factor which is the Israeli actions that is, unfortunately, contributing to destabilizing the region. The region continues to extend its hand in peace and to seek stability in the region, but unfortunately, day after day, we see these extended hands being rejected.
We also discussed other issues in the region, foremost among them the crisis in Sudan. We also reaffirmed our support for political solutions in Libya, and clearly affirmed our support for the unity and territorial integrity of Sudan, Libya, and all Arab territories.
As you know, the region is experiencing difficult circumstances, particularly since the beginning of the U.S.-Iran war, which, unfortunately, has had very harmful repercussions for the entire region, not only for the Gulf region. I discussed with my brother Badr the efforts that the State of Qatar is undertaking and continuously pursuing through its mediation, in partnership with Pakistan, amid the stalemate we are witnessing and the current situation, which has unfortunately obstructed many matters for us.
We affirmed the necessity and importance of ensuring the freedom, security, and safety of navigation, whether in the Strait of Hormuz or the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. We call for a return to the situation that existed before the war. International maritime traffic must not be held hostage or used as a tool for political blackmail by any party, and we condemn anyone who obstructs such movement.
The State of Qatar will continue its efforts with our brothers, whether in the Gulf states, the Arab Republic of Egypt, or elsewhere in the region, to support diplomatic solutions. We hope to reach solutions between the two sides soon, return to the memorandum of understanding, and restore diplomacy instead of, unfortunately, resorting to a language of escalation and political blackmail.
We reaffirmed the importance of continued coordination and consultation between our two countries and between our respective foreign ministries. God willing, we look forward to hosting you in Doha next year for the eighth session of the High Committee. I thank you for your hospitality and for everything you have done for us today.
Journalist’s Question:
Thank you for the opportunity.
My question to His Excellency the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Qatar: In light of Israel’s official and declared rejection of moving forward with the implementation of U.S. President Donald Trump’s peace plan for Gaza, are there other avenues that can be pursued jointly, rather than relying on the U.S. role? And how does His Excellency also view the recent Israeli escalations, whether through increased violations in the West Bank, the continued occupation of areas in southern Lebanon, or the recent attacks on Syrian territory?
Thank you very much.
Regarding Israel’s obligations to implement what is required of it, whether the remaining commitments under the first phase or the second phase of the peace plan, we are relying primarily on the United States to exert pressure on Israel to fulfill its obligations. However, as mediating countries and as fellow Arab countries, we also care about what is happening in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. We will therefore also undertake international diplomatic efforts to create international pressure on Israel to fulfill its obligations.
I believe that today we are witnessing this behavior as an ongoing and, unfortunately, systematic pattern. From the Israeli side, whenever the other party seeks to fulfill its obligations, Israel does the opposite and acts in contradiction to them. We say that the continuation of such actions will yield nothing but negative consequences for the Strip, for Israel, and for the region as a whole. Therefore, we must avoid such actions. We hope that the U.S. side will fulfill its role. Just as there was an Egyptian-Qatari-Turkish role in securing the Palestinian factions’ agreement to this plan, there is also a role for the United States, European countries, and the international community to pressure Israel to fulfill its obligations.
In addition, regarding the escalation and the opening of fronts, whether in Lebanon and the violations occurring there on a daily basis or in Syria, the Arab side met recently in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, where we reaffirmed the importance of collective action to put an end to these Israeli violations, particularly those at Al-Aqsa Mosque and the violations in the West Bank.
God willing, diplomatic efforts and contacts will continue in this direction. We must also look at the situation today in general: What is the overall security situation in the region? The region is highly volatile. If this issue is not addressed jointly by the European countries, the United States, and the countries of the region, this escalation will have repercussions for all the countries of the region. We hope that everyone will shoulder their responsibilities, act responsibly, and put an end to these violations, which bring nothing to the region except instability.
Journalist’s Question:
My question is for His Excellency the Qatari Prime Minister: In light of the tensions currently affecting maritime navigation, how is Qatar responding to Iran’s conduct in the Strait of Hormuz?
As I mentioned at the outset, Qatar’s efforts at the moment are focused on mediation between Iran and the United States. There are also efforts between Iran and the Sultanate of Oman to reach an agreement and find an interim solution to the current situation. However, we must also not forget that freedom of navigation must be guaranteed without requiring any efforts by any state, and that these maritime passages must not be held hostage to any form of political blackmail.
The State of Qatar is working in consultation with our brothers in the Gulf Cooperation Council and in the region to find other diplomatic avenues with the Iranian side to restore maritime navigation to its normal course. We hope that this will, at the very least, be a positive step toward fully defusing the crisis. We look forward to the Iranian side shouldering its responsibilities and responding to the region, as well as taking into consideration the damage it has caused to us as countries in the region as a result of this closure.
Kenya has expanded health coverage to more than 32.3 million people as the Government advances reforms aimed at protecting households from high medical costs and ensuring access to healthcare is based on need rather than ability to pay.
Health Cabinet Secretary Hon. Aden Duale highlighted the progress during a high-level ministerial dialogue at the 76th session of the World Health Organization Regional Committee for Africa.
The dialogue brought together African health ministers to examine sustainable approaches to financing healthcare and accelerating Universal Health Coverage across the continent.
Hon. Duale said Kenya’s transition from the National Hospital Insurance Fund to the Social Health Authority is replacing a fragmented and employment-based system with a more inclusive and sustainable model.
Previously, health insurance covered only about a quarter of the population, leaving many farmers, traders, casual workers and vulnerable households to pay for treatment directly. Out-of-pocket healthcare expenditure reached approximately USD 1.2 billion annually, exposing families to financial hardship whenever serious illness occurred.
The reforms have registered more than 32.3 million people, equivalent to approximately 55 per cent of Kenya’s population. Primary healthcare is now funded by the National Government, with more than USD 210 million committed to support services at community and primary-care levels.
The financing framework has supported more than 20 million outpatient visits by 15 million people, over 1.2 million safe deliveries and approximately 500,000 surgical procedures.
Through the Emergency, Chronic and Critical Illness Fund, more than 50,000 cancer patients and nearly 21,000 people requiring dialysis have also received support.
Digitisation is strengthening transparency and efficiency across the health system. More than 95 per cent of health facilities—6,424 out of 6,727—have been digitised, while SHA has automated registration, pre-authorisation and claims processing.
Hon. Duale called for sustained domestic health financing across Africa, backed by responsive technology, strong political leadership and mutually beneficial international partnerships.
President of the Republic of Seychelles, Dr Patrick Herminie, welcomed Pastor Mrs Foluke Adenike Adeboye, Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye and members of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) during a courtesy call at State House this morning.
President Herminie welcomed Pastor Adeboye and the RCCG delegation to Seychelles and expressed his appreciation for the work the church is undertaking, particularly in supporting young people. He noted that Seychelles continues to face several challenges affecting the youth and said that spiritual guidance and support can make a positive contribution to society.
Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye highlighted the RCCG’s extensive work with young people, noting that the church currently has more than 1,000 members in Seychelles and a presence in more than 190 countries worldwide. He also spoke about his work as a Christian leader and the recognition he has received for his influence within the Christian community.
During the meeting, Pastor Adeboye outlined several initiatives the RCCG would like to undertake in Seychelles to support communities and contribute to the well-being and development of the country. These include helping single mothers, organising a weekly breakfast initiative for people struggling with drug addiction, and supporting capacity-building programmes for primary and secondary school students.
The discussions focused on opportunities for collaboration between the Government and the RCCG, with both sides expressing a shared commitment to working together to support the people of Seychelles and contribute to a stronger future for the country through spiritual guidance, community engagement and youth development.
Also in attendance was Minister Amanda Birnstein, alongside representatives of the Redeemed Christian Church of God.
Government is moving to regulate the manufacture, distribution, importation and supply of veterinary medicine, veterinary devices, agricultural chemicals and agricultural chemical application equipment.
The move is embedded in a Bill titled, ‘The Food and Agriculture Regulatory Authority Bill, 2026’ that was tabled by the Minister for Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, Hon. Frank Tumwebaze on Tuesday, 25 August 2026.
The proposed law that is will be processed by the Committee on Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries seeks to superintend over the surge in counterfeit and substandard veterinary medicines and agricultural chemicals.
Among key provisions in the Bill is the establishment of the Food and Agriculture Regulatory Authority to ensure standard veterinary and agricultural inputs on the market as well as licensing manufacturers and distributors of agricultural chemicals.
“There are high levels of medicines, chemical residues and contaminants such as aflatoxins and heavy metals in our food. The existence of such substances compromises our health and safety, and greatly affects the integrity of our food exports,” reads the Bill in part.
The Bill also states that the continued presence of substandard and counterfeit veterinary and agricultural inputs has resulted into increased pest and disease incidences in the country.
The Bill also seeks to address fragmented regulation for food, feeds, veterinary medicine, veterinary devices, equipment and agricultural chemicals which has resulted in weak and uncoordinated regulation by multiple agencies leading to duplication of efforts, oversight and inefficiencies in enforcement.
“The implementation of the Food and Agriculture Regulatory Authority Act is expected to spur clean agricultural productivity and trade, improve human, plant and animal health leading to consumer safety and confidence, increase market access of Uganda’s agricultural exports to regional and global markets, increase the incomes and profit of food value chain actors and enhance consumer protection against counterfeits,” the Bill is further justified.
The Speaker, Jacob Marksons Oboth referred the Bill to the Committee on Agriculture for processing.
Rule 135 of the Rules of Procedure prescribes that the committee should process a Bill and report to the House within 45 working days.
– on behalf of Parliament of the Republic of Uganda.
Traders operating around the Teya-Teyaneng (TY) taxi rank expressed readiness to relocate to the newly constructed facility, saying the centralization of taxi operations could improve business.
The traders were interviewed by the agency following an inspection of the new taxi rank by The Right Honourable the Prime Minister Ntsokoane Matekane.
A small supermarket owner, Mr Tlotliso Hlaoli, said traders are yet to receive information on how their businesses will operate at the new rank, despite being invited to meetings whenever matters affecting them arise.
He said they are ready to move to the new taxi rank within the next two months but are waiting for clarity on how the trading arrangements will work and whether they will continue operating as they currently do at their individual stalls.
Mr Hlaoli said one of their major challenges has been being removed from the places where they previously operated, which negatively affected their businesses.
He said traders had to start their businesses from scratch because vehicles were operating from different locations, while their businesses heavily depended on passenger traffic.
Mr Hlaoli expressed optimism that the new taxi rank will improve their businesses by bringing passengers and taxis together in one place.
Meanwhile, another trader, Mr Thabo Rantjana, who has operated a business at the taxi rank for 21 years, said he is also ready to move to the new facility, although he is concerned that rental fees could be high depending on the size and quality of the new premises.
He said having all taxis operating from one location would enable traders to attract more customers and increase their income.
Mr Rantjana said business had declined during the construction of the new taxi rank, which posed a major challenge for traders.
He said he is impressed by the appearance of the new facility, adding that it would also help reduce the disorder experienced at the old rank, particularly during rainy weather when mud made the area difficult to operate in.
“The challenge at the new taxi rank will be that we have to start our businesses from scratch, and it will be difficult for our customers to find us, but we believe business will be better than where we are currently operating,” Mr Rantjana said.
The new Teya-Teyaneng taxi rank is expected to bring taxis and traders together in one place. The rank is expected to start operating within the next two months.
When schools closed in Chikwawa and many parts of the country, many children left their homes to attend traditional initiation camps, known locally as ku Simba. While these cultural gatherings are an important part of community life, they also presented a challenge for health workers determined to ensure every eligible child received the polio vaccine.
For Yohane Botha, an initiation leader from Ntsapa in Group Village Bendana, the solution was clear.
“These children deserve to be protected from polio. They should not be left behind because of tradition,” he says.
As vaccination teams moved through communities during the polio campaign, Botha and other initiation leaders welcomed them into the camps, giving health workers access to children who would otherwise have been difficult to reach. Their willingness to open the doors of the initiation centres ensured that cultural traditions did not become a barrier to essential health services
For Botha, the partnership showed that tradition and health are not competing interests. Instead, they serve the same communities and depend on one another.
“Tradition cannot exist without healthy members of the community,” he explains, noting that traditional leaders often rely on health facilities whenever medical problems arise.
The collaboration proved especially important during the campaign, when many eligible children were living away from home at initiation centres. According to Ebenezer Banda, Chikwawa District’s Expanded Programme on Immunization Coordinator, health workers had to go the extra mile to find and vaccinate children wherever they were even in the thick forest where most of these camps were situated. The support of traditional leaders made that possible.
“When schools were closed, the teams needed to go an extra mile to reach eligible children who were living in confinement at initiation centres,” Banda says.
Traditional leaders also played another critical role: helping communities understand the importance of vaccination. Group Village Headman Maseya of Kafere believes that protecting children from polio requires a joint effort between community leaders and the health sector. By listening to community concerns, addressing myths and misconceptions, and encouraging families to trust health advice, traditional leaders can help remove barriers that prevent children from being vaccinated.
The partnership between traditional leaders and health workers demonstrates that successful vaccination campaigns are built on trust and community participation. By opening their doors to vaccination teams, initiation leaders helped ensure that children were reached regardless of where they were staying.
The results speak for themselves. Chikwawa achieved reported vaccination coverage of 102 percent, reflecting the collective effort of health workers, traditional leaders, and communities working toward a common goal.
The experience in Chikwawa offers a powerful lesson: protecting children is a shared responsibility. Tradition and health can coexist, communicate and work together to ensure that cultural practices do not become barriers to essential health services.
By building bridges between traditional institutions and the health system, Chikwawa is showing that when communities open their doors and health workers are willing to go the extra mile, no child has to be left behind—even when they are far from home.
For a long time, Agness Chinkudzu carried a fear that many parents can relate to: the fear of seeing her child fall ill. Living in Kuyenderana Village in Chikwawa, she had watched her child become sick after previous vaccinations and was convinced that vaccination was the cause. The experience left her deeply worried and determined that her child would never receive another vaccine.
When polio vaccination teams visited her community during successive campaigns, Agness consistently refused. No matter how many health workers came to her home, her answer remained the same. Behind every refusal was a mother trying to protect her child from what she believed could cause harm.
“I decided that I would never vaccinate my child again,” she recalls.
But during the most recent campaign, something changed. Despite her hesitation and constant refusal during previous campaigns, the vaccination team did not give up. They reached out to Agness again, this time taking time to listen to her concerns and discuss what families should do when a child becomes unwell following vaccination.
Rather than focusing only on vaccination, the health workers took time to listen. They sat with Agness and allowed her to share her fears and past experiences. For the first time, she felt that someone was hearing her concerns instead of dismissing them.
The team explained what parents should do if a child becomes unwell after vaccination and why it is important to report any concerns to health workers. They reassured her that health facilities and community health workers are there to investigate symptoms, provide care, and determine whether an illness is related to vaccination or another health condition.
Meretina Washa, Senior Disease Control Surveillance Assistant, says reporting such incidents is important because it allows health workers to monitor possible vaccine side effects and determine whether the symptoms are related to vaccination or could be caused by other medical conditions.
“Reporting helps us monitor the child and establish what could be causing the problem. It also gives us an opportunity to check the child’s general health and provide the appropriate support,” Washa explains.
According to Washa, continued communication between families and health workers is equally important. When parents report concerns instead of keeping them to themselves, health workers can respond, investigate and provide appropriate guidance.
“This promotes collaboration between the community and health workers for the health and wellbeing of the child,” she says.
For Agness, the conversation brought reassurance and a new perspective. She realized that she did not have to face her fears alone and that support was available if any concerns arose. What began as a discussion about vaccination became a moment of trust, understanding, and partnership between a mother and the health workers serving her community
Her story is a powerful reminder that vaccine refusal is often not rooted in mere unwillingness, but in genuine concern for a child’s wellbeing. Sometimes, changing minds is not about repeating messages. It is about listening with patience, answering questions honestly, and building relationships one conversation at a time.
However, health workers say not all cases are resolved as easily. Zainub Mtola, a Health Surveillance Assistant serving communities under Mtambanyama Health Centre, says some families have refused vaccination for more than 13 years because of religious beliefs, trusting faith alone to protect their children. To reach these families, health workers often work with traditional leaders, pastors, and relatives who can help create opportunities for dialogue
Mtola says the challenge is balancing respect for individual beliefs with the responsibility to protect children from polio and other vaccine-preventable diseases. In some cases, families agree to vaccination but later avoid the vaccination teams, leaving children unprotected and at risk. These experiences highlight the need for stronger community engagement, ongoing dialogue, and collaboration with traditional and religious leaders to address misconceptions and build confidence in vaccines.
Today, Agness’s experience offers hope. It shows that when health workers take the time to listen, acknowledge fears, and respond with empathy, trust can be rebuilt. Her journey also reflects a broader lesson for polio eradication efforts: every missed child has a story and understanding that story is often the first step toward ensuring that no child is left behind.
