Sainimili Magimagi 
[Photo: File]
Fiji’s first parenting app was launched today in Muanikoso, Nasinu, with a focus on improving Early Childhood Development.
Bebbo Pacific is the first parenting app of its kind in the Pacific and is also accessible in Samoa.
The initiative was made possible through the support of UNICEF and the New Zealand High Commission, in collaboration with relevant agencies involved in early childhood care and development.
The app is designed to suit the local context and provides nurturing guidance for parents, vaccination schedules, parent-child activities, milestone notifications, and information on warning signs from pregnancy through to children aged six years.
UNICEF Representative for the Pacific, Hamish Young, assured attendees that the app was developed through extensive research, consultations, fact-checking, and evidence-based practices, with the involvement of social and behavioural change specialists.
He reaffirmed that the app is safe, with children’s data securely stored only on the individual devices of parents and guardians.
Minister for Children, Sashi Kiran, said the app is currently available in English, with iTaukei and Hindi versions currently being developed to improve accessibility for users.
She added that the app can be accessed both online and offline.
UNICEF and the Ministry of Children anticipate that the app will help enhance childhood development and provide guidance for parents, particularly first-time and young parents, as they navigate the parenting journey.
The initiative also aims to help reduce cases of child neglect and revive the family-centered values for which Fijian households are widely known.
