Empowering Communities for Early Childhood Development Transformation

1. ““PROVIDING QUALITY EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT WILL TRANSFORM A CHILD’S ABILITIES AND OPPORTUNITIES THROUGHOUT THEIR LIVES”

2. Tumaini Letu development organization is a registered Non Governmental organization (NGO) which was established in 1992 and registered in 1996 in the ministry of home affairs with registration number 8933 and reregistered “Children Care and Women Support Compassion Organization” in February 2016 with registration no 08413 to comply with NGOs registration Act no 24 of 2002. • The organization was established in order to assist young needy orphans and vulnerable children particularly those affected by HIV/AIDS.

3. Introduction cont…… • To date Tumaini Letu- Children Care and Women Support Compassion runs 20 day care centers in Muleba District with 5,506 young children (3-6 yrs) of which 75% are orphans and other vulnerable children by supporting them with proper nutritious meals, Health services, kinder and pre-school education, opportunities to attend primary and secondary school. They also run a savings and credit scheme for women (HANURA) who are care takers of orphans and vulnerable children

4. Vision and mission • Vision statement Tumaini Letu Children Care and Women Support Compassion’s vision is “A healthier society in which all marginalized groups (Women and Children) are realizing their full potential.” • Mission statement To be a leading NGO in which marginalized are accessing their rights, the well being of all people is a foundational commitment in all Tumaini Letu women and children development organization activities facilitate promotion of social, economic, cultural development and thus empower the community to organize and fight for their needs through utilizing locally available resources

5. Overall goal • The overall goal of Tumaini Letu Children Care and Women Support Compassion is tostrengthen the capacity of communities and local organizations to respond effectively to the needs of target groups including young children in Tanzania. Objectives: • To increase community ownership and capacity to implement holistic ECD programs • Improve the well-being of children 0-8 years through increased access to essential, age-appropriate services

6. To strengthen the capacity of Local Government Authorities to respond to the needs of young children • To improve ECD programs in Kagera Region, through use of information, research findings and critical learning. • Increase community and CSO capacity to provide and sustain positive care for young children in HIV/AIDS affected communities. • To collaborate with individuals, organizations and the Government in the fight against HIV/AIDS and Gender Based Violence (GBV) issues among Key Vulnerable Populations

7. Objectives Cont…. • Improve caregiver well-being and capacity to provide consistent, responsive care for children age 0-8 years • Collaborate with public and private sector to increase technical, financial and material support to OVC and community support groups • To improve institution and Local Government Authorities (LGAs) M&E systems for ECD services • To mobilize sufficient human and financial resources through different strategies towards sustainable delivery of services in order to achieve the rest of its objectives.

8. Values The organization have the following Core Values • Transparency; • Accountability; • Mutual Respect; • Fair Dealing; • Equity and Gender Parity; • Participation; • Respect for Human Rights.

9. Beneficiaries of Tumaini Letu Direct Beneficiaries • Children • Women- Widows Indirect beneficiaries • Parents • Community • C4EC members • Local and Central Government Authorities • ECD stakeholders

10. ECD Program • In partnership with Better Way Foundation (BWF), Local Government Authorities (LGAs), ECD Implementing Partners and Community representative Tumaini Letu has been Implementing Early Childhood Development program since January 2010 to date. • Various projects have been implemented that includes • - Care and Support for young children an intergrated approach to meeting the needs of 0-8 yrs children with education, nutrition, health and household economic opportunities.

11. ECD program cont…. • - Care and Support for young children • - Support, Care and Protection for OVCs • - Care and Support for OVCs ages 0 to 7 years through Pre Primary, Access to Health, Nutrition, and household economic opportunities • Since 2010 to date, BWF foundation have contributed $536,543 for ECD activities, To date we have received a total of $446,543 that will end on December 31, The remained fund 0f $80,000 will be disbursed on November for January- December 2017 activities.

12. Funding history • Care and Support for young children an integrated approach to meeting the needs of 0-8 yrs: $ 80,000 from January 2010 to Dec 2011 • Care and Support for young children: $ 40,000 from January 2012 to Dec 2012 • Support, Care and Protection for OVCs: $ 146,543 from January 2013 to December 2014 • Support, Care and Protection for young OVCs: $ 270,000 From January 2015 to December 2017 • Total Funding of 8 year= $ 536,543

13. WHY early childhood development (ECD) • Worldwide 200 million children under five years of age are not achieving their development potential due to poverty, poor health and nutrition, and lack of stimulation and learning opportunities • More than 200 million children under five in the developing world are not receiving the kind of early education that encourages the healthy neural connections needed to help children read, write and solve problems effectively. •  Early childhood program lays critical foundations for a person’s entire life

14. Why ecd cont…. • Investments in Early Childhood Development (ECD) offer outstanding returns – both in human and financial terms • Early Childhood Development (ECD) programming ensures that young children have a good start in life. It addresses cognitive, motor development, health, nutrition and protection from harm. It offer opportunities for enjoyable learning and promote a sense of identity and self-worth. They enable children to communicate effectively and get along with others. • Our purpose is to ensure that every young child is prepared mentally, emotionally and physically for primary school and later life

15. Goal To Strengthen the capacity of caregivers, communities and local organizations to respond effectively to the needs of young children Objectives • To Increase access to quality Early Learning and stimulation services for young children 0-8 in Kagera Region with policy links and holistic service delivery • Improve the well-being of children 0-8 years through increased access to essential, age-appropriate services

16. Objectives Cont… • To reduce psychosocial trauma to psychologically affected children • Promote early childhood development programs and advocacy on children rights in the targeted community • Improve caregiver well-being and capacity to provide consistent, responsive care for children age 0-5 years • Increase community and CSO capacity to provide and sustain positive care for young children in HIV/AIDS affected communities

17. Summary of activities implemented under BWF funds • Constructed two day care centers in collaboration with Local Government Authorities and community members • 3,365 young children have graduated pre- primary course in 20 day care centers

18. ACTIVITIES IMPLEMENTED CONT…. • Supported 2,351 needy children with school materials {school uniforms, school bags, exercise books, pen and pencils

19. ACTIVITIES IMPLEMENTED CONT… • Improved learning environment by improving 10 pre school grounds and purchasing playing materials • Trained 128 pre school teachers on pre school/day care centre management, children protection, care and support and pre school teaching methodologies

20. Activities implemented cont… • Provided psychosocial support to the psychologically affected children and families through home visiting and organizing play groups and counseling sessions • Facilitated 12 teachers for pre school management course at Montessori Training centre

21. Activities implemented cont… • Facilitated 1,200 children to participate on the commemoration of the day of African child

22. Activities implemented cont… • Conducted regular nutrition assessment to children in our day care centers • Conducted 169 awareness meetings on the importance of kindergarten and pre school education to young children

23. Activities implemented cont… • Supported 200 children and 800 needy families members with Community Health Funds (CHF) card • Purchased and distributed teaching materials like chalks, attendance registers, books, maps and toys for children in 20 day care centers • Provided nutritious food to children during the class hours in 10 day care centers three times per week

24. Activities implemented cont… • Advocated for ECD through organizing partnership review workshop with 10 local government authority head of departments, 54 school teachers, 10 law enforcers (police, magistrate), and 25 community development officers, 10 ward leaders and village leaders, 5 partners organizations and 20 ward counselors. • Facilitated 12 teachers for pre school management course at Montessori Training centre • Trained 30 group leaders on good parenting skills and child protection.

25. Activities implemented cont… • Trained 30 women group leaders on preparation of food mix and parking • Mobilized 460 Vulnerable women into savings and internal lending groups

26. Activities implemented cont… • Facilitated 460 care takers to establish and run small businesses • Trained 40 group leaders on groups management and record keeping • Trained 40 women groups {460care takers} on entrepreneurship, village banks management and marketing skills

27. Achievements • Improved social economic and health status among the supported orphans e.g. orphans have enabled to acquire primary education • Regular home visiting by community volunteers and field officer have contributed towards behaviour change on child care and support among parents/care takers of orphans. • Improved knowledge on the importance of balance diet and vaccination to parents/care takers • Community willingness on care and support of orphans and other vulnerable children.

28. Achievements cont… • Trained care takers on psycho social counselling will continue to provide care and counselling services in the community • Partnership with Montessori Training College for training pre school teachers and internship. • Improved household economic status among the young OVCs caring families as 80% of the supported families are able to support their children with different basic needs without external support • There are improvement in knowledge and skills among the government preschool teachers as the results of the capacity building trainings on preschool management and teaching methodologies conducted by Tumaini Letu

29. Achievements cont… • Community has actively participated in the care and support of our education and nutrition program as they have contributes beans, maize and to support nutrition programs for their children and actively participating preparation of porridge and food for their children and contributing locally available materials for construction of day care centers • Improved knowledge on the importance of day early childhood development and preschool education to young children among community members through seminars, workshops, trainings and awareness creation meetings as the number of young children joining our day care centers are increasing

30. Inadequate resources. Both financial and human resources are still the challenges for providing quality ECD. This means we need to advocate for the Government to allocate direct budget for ECD activities from the central government budget. • We need to advocate the government to train more ECD professionals as Pre school classes need professional teachers who have trained on ECD and pre school management issues • Pre school classes especial government schools have no enough teaching and learning materials. • There are no play grounds and playing materials for young children in some schools

31. To improve the quality of ECD requires joint efforts between the Government and stakeholders to work in coordinated manner • Care, support and protection of MVC and ECD need to be holistic to meet all common needs and expactations of young children and families • There is a need of srengthening refferal and linkage systems at the community level to increase MVC accesibility of services • LGAs still need to be capacitated on how best to work with CSOs and other development Partners to ensure ECD activities are intergrated in their plans

32. Tumaini Letu would like to acknowledge and appreciate the valuable contribution made by Better Way Foundation for the financial and technical support you provide through program and technical team to ensure strategically implementation of ECD programs. • We also Appreciate good cooperation and collaboration from central and local government authorities, CSOs and other stakeholders for their commitment to ensure young children are reaching their potentials

33. THANK YOU FOR LISTENING