In preparation to roll out the Strengthening the Capacity of Women Religious in Early Childhood Development (SCORE ECD) project phase III, which is funded by Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, members from Catholic Relief Services (CRS) Global, regional and country project managers and coordinators in collaboration with Association of Consecrated Women in Eastern and Central Africa (ACWECA), Association of Sisterhoods of Kenya (AOSK), Association of Women in Religious Institutes of Malawi (AWRIM), Zambia Association of Sisterhood (ZAS) and Ghana Country Program Managers and coordinators gathered virtually for five days between 1st-5th November 2021 for a workshop on SMILER (Simple Measurement of Indicators of Learning and Evidence based Reporting).
ACWECA SCORE ECD Coordinator, Sr. Wilhelmina Uhai Tunu a member of the Little Sisters of St. Francis, LSOSF said the workshop was an opportunity for participatory development of key Monitoring, Evaluation Accountability and Learning (MEAL) system components as conceptualized in key project design documents and shaped by donor requirements and field realities.
“In the workshop the participants produced drafts of key MEAL components that will be reviewed and tested before finalization. Drafts included; stakeholder communication plan, support supervision checklist, ECD space quality environment checklist, beneficiary registration and attendance list, fidelity rating form during group sessions, neighbour group tracking fporm, Integrated Mother Baby Course (iMBC) supervision form, Community Health Voluntees monthly summary report form, Sister congregation monthly report form, data flow maps, feedback mechanism, reporting due dates table, data collection forms. The team also developed Deep Implementation Plan for the three years and instructions among others,” she said.
Sr. Tunu mentioned that Phase three of SCORE ECD project will be implemented in Ghana with 10 sister congregations covering ten districts of Yendi, Nanumba North, Saboba, Zabzugu, Chereponi, Mion, West Gonja, Central Gonja, Bole and Sawla-Tuna Kalba. In Kenya it will be implemented by 10 sister congregations and will work in sixteen counties including Meru, Siaya, Kisumu, Nairobi, Isiolo, Kajiado, Uasingishu, Narok, Kitui, Murang’a, Kiambuu, Kisii, Migori, West Pokot, Mombasa, and Nakuru. Malawi will be covered in three districts of Charadzulu, Nkhotakota and Mzimba districts and implemented by six congregations. In Zambia eight districts including Keebe, Chipata, Chadiza, Kavu, Mpongwe, Kasanka, Chifunabuli and Kasaba. Implemented by five congregations.
Sr. Tunu further said SCORE ECD Phase III aims to ensure that children 0-3 years old in the target areas live in nurturing environment by 2024.
Sr. Wilhelmina Uhai Tunu
Sr. Wilhelmina Uhai Tunu also highlighted the project’s objectives.
“The project’s first objective is that sisters deliver nurturing care and family strengthening services to caregivers of children 0-3 by 2024. The second ensures that caregivers of children 0-3 years old provide their children nurturing care by 2024 and the third is that National Associations and congregations have strengthened organizational capacity by 2024”.
SCORE ECD project is in line with ACWECA strategic priority areas such as Leadership program, family program and Organizational Development and Growth. Hence can leverage on ACWECA priority areas and lessons learned and best practices from SCORE ECD II to expand ECD to other African countries. ACWECA will contribute in the achievement of phase III goal by: Documenting, advocating, and Influencing in ECD using different platforms at regional and International levels, support congregations and Associations to incorporate ECD into the formation syllabus or formation Programme, train Formators who will in turn train Formees with basic knowledge of ECD, Provide Leadership trainings for the newly elected superiors within ACWECA region on Sustainability, administration, canon law, finance management and others. Fundraise to increase and expand ECD to other National Associations in ACWECA Region among others.
Sr Tunu explained that SCORE-ECD Phase II project which is phasing out was implemented through the Associations of Sisters and Catholic Sister religious congregations in Kenya, Malawi and Zambia and ACWECA at regional level towards achieving the goal of children under 2 years (CU2) in Kenya, Malawi and Zambia thrive in a sustainable culture of care and support. Phase II of the project leveraged learning from the first phase of SCORE-ECD and focused on intervention approach in integrated ECD by using the Care Group’s model. It also focused on strengthening the technical and organizational capacity of Sister institutions.
