Sr Helen Kasaka, LSMI
In preparation to roll out the Strengthening Capacity of Women Religious in Early Childhood Development (SCORE ECD) Phase III, funded by Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, CRS Global, the 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 and 5th November 2021 for a workshop on SMILER (Simple Measurement of Indicators of Learning and Evidence based Reporting).
SCORE ECD ACWECA Members
from Kenya, Malawi and Zambia
ACWECA SCORE ECD Director, Sr. Wilhelmina Uhai Tunu 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.
“During the workshop, participants produced drafts of key MEAL components that will be reviewed and tested before finalization. Drafts included stakeholder communication plan, learning plan, data flow maps, feedback, complaints and responsive mechanisms flowchart, feedback and complains forms, reporting formats, reporting due dates table, data collection forms and instructions among others,” she said.
Sr. Tunu mentioned that Phase III of SCORE ECD project will be implemented in Ghana covering ten districts of Yendi, Nanumba North, Saboba, Zabzugu, Chereponi, Mion, West Gonja, Central Gonja, Bole and Sawla-Tuna Kalba.
In Kenya, it will work in sixteen counties including Meru, Siaya, Kisumu, Nairobi, Isiolo, Kajiado, Uasingishu, Narok, Kitui, Murang’a, Kiambu, Kisii, Migori, West Pokot, Mombasa, and Nakuru.
In Malawi, it will be covered in three districts of Charadzulu, Nkhotakota and Mzimba districts while in Zambia it covers eight districts including Keebe, Chipata, Chadiza, Kavu, Mpongwe, Kasanka, Chifunabuli and Kasaba.
Sr. Tunu further said SCORE ECDPhaseIII aims to ensure that children 0 to 3 years old in the target areas live in nurturing environment by 2024.
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 it can leverage on ACWECA priority areas and lessons learned and best practices from SCORE ECD II to expand ECD to other African countries.
Sr Tunu explained that SCORE-ECD Phase II project which is phasing out, was implementedthrough 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.
PhaseII of the project leveraged learning from the first phase of SCORE-ECD and focus on interventionapproach in integrated ECD by using the Care Group’s model. It also focused on strengthening thetechnical and organization capacity of Sister institutions.