Early Childhood Development: East Africa Learns from South Asia

Introduction

The Nutrition and Early Childhood Development Project in Uganda seeks to improve growth and development of children under five years of age, in terms of nutrition, health, psycho-social and cognitive aspects. The Project is near completion and a second phase is in the pipeline. In Kenya, the Early Childhood Development Project seeks to improve the quality and education of poor Kenyan households, with a focus on improved teacher performance and community capacity building. Staff from both projects visited several ECD related projects and institutions in India and Sri Lanka and plan to integrate a number of lessons learnt into the East African context. This debriefing captures the following themes that emerged from the South-South exchange: integration of IK into ECD policies, training of care givers and adolescents in integrated ECD services and parenting; community empowerment, women self help groups, income generating activities, micro finance, multi-sectoral approaches to development and poverty reduction that involve the community at all levels of planning and implementation

The video can be viewed in its entirety or via shorter clips sorted along the main themes (blue underlined) which emerged during the debriefing.  This debriefing was organized by the Knowledge and Learning Group as part of AFTQK’s knowledge sharing and learning services. Dr. Z.M.Nyiira, Director Uganda National Council for Science and Technology and the Bank team conducted the debriefing on September 21^st, 2002.

Full Debriefing

1. Introductions (2:29 min)
2. Opening remarks – and setting the agenda (29 sec)
3. Experiences with the ECD programs (15:56 min)
   1. Kenyan observations  (6:39 min)

                                                         I.      Observed how communities conserve – and maintain IK (38 sec)

                                                       II.      Sustainable partnerships – between NGOs and communities (54 sec)

                                                      III.      Building the capacity – of communities to improve childcare (41 sec)

                                                    IV.      Need for IK advocacy – in Kenya (1:44 min)

                                                      V.      Use local resources – to improve health and nutrition (1:40 min)

                                                    VI.      Indigenous medicine can greatly enrich ECD programs (43 sec)

                                                         I.      Critical success factors – of programs in South Asia include political stability, literacy, utilization and dependency on IK (1:17 min)

                                                       II.      Developed a holistic approach – to integrate child health and welfare into ECD Programs (2:16 min)

4. Uganda – summary of experiences (14:08 min)

   a.       Drugs corporation  too early to go into production (43 sec)

   b.       Minister of health – also minister for nutrition and welfare – cuts across all sectors (54 sec)

   c.       Medicinal Plant Conservation area – very good learning experience, cultivate medicinal plants to improve nutrition and health (1:33 min)

   d.       WHO protocols – look at these for guidance  on traditional health practices (1:54 min)

   e.       Internal and external politics – need to guard against any undermining efforts (1:00 min)

   f.         Disabled children – ‘need to bring them out of hiding for help…’; emphasize early detection and law on reduction of disability (1:55 min)

   g.       Need for support – through policies and policy makers (1:18 min)

5. Looking at linkages and opportunities for Uganda (8:44 min)

4. 1. Integration – between ministries and between programs (1:00 min)
   2. Strong monitoring – and documentation; ‘here they make sure to follow up…’ (3:08 min)
   3. Legislation – been a key factor of success (2:04 min)
   4. Curriculum and training of nurses – helps change social attitudes (1:33 min)
5. Looking at linkages and opportunities for Kenya  (3:05 min)
   1. Documentation of impact (37 sec)
   2. Sensitizing community to come forward (38 sec)
   3. Integrate special education with ECD (38 sec)
   4. Need to study harmful IK practices too (58 sec)
6. South-south cooperation – what can we give back? What lessons can we transfer? (10:37)
   1. Strategies from Uganda – for reducing maternal mortality, malaria, should be child friendly (3:51min)
   2. Strategies from Kenya   – strong vision led to success, use of community leaders and early detection is critical (4:37 min)
7. Socialization through Indigenous stories – teaching values and behavior to children (2:58 min)
8. Creating demand at the household level – through high level advocacy (2:29 min)
9. Threat of AIDS – a threat that needs to be taken seriously; pediatric AIDS has started to show up (48 sec)
10. Advocacy campaign – in Uganda for early childhood development to provide integrated services  (2:42 min)
11. Sustaining funding for projects – as centers are beginning to progress, projects are ending (1:19 min)
12. Closing remarks (1:01 min)