ChildFund is an international sponsorship programme operating around the world, encompassing more than 15 million children and their families. The programme that seeks to help child development through nutrition, healthcare, education and skill development came to Sri Lanka in 1985.
Sri Lanka is one of the 59 programme countries ChildFund Alliance operates in. This is a global network of 12 independent child development organizations with more than 70 years of experience in community development.
In their new project "Ensure Nutrition, Health and Children's Education" (ENHANCE) they have gone to the field level to fortify the very base of childhood development.
The project is done through a tri-party agreement between ChildFund Sri Lanka, ChildFund New Zealand and Fonterra. "We have recognized post-conflict areas, plantation areas and the dry zone as poverty pockets in Sri Lanka," says Human Resource Manager of ChildFund Sri Lanka, R. P. M. Sandamali. They also worked with the Ministry of Health, Regional Directors of Health Services (RDHS) and nearby religious places, community centres etc.
The initial programme was started in Polonnaruwa. The target pre-schools under project ENHANCE are those in the areas of six Grama Niladhari divisions that are administered and managed under two Divisional Secretariats, Madirigiriya and Lankapura under which there are nine ECCD centres. The Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) programmes initiated by ChildFund as part of this project are both centre and home-based, and advocate healthy motherhood (and parenthood), proper health, nutrition, family care, stimulation and infant security and child protection for children aged 0-5 yrs.
"The project implementation was done in two ways," explains Childfund, Sri Lanka's acting country director P. Jaganathan. "Hardware provision includes giving infrastructure such as toys, playground equipment etc. and software provision includes training, providing knowledge which ultimately results in a change in attitude."
It's conducted under the lead mothers system where women are chosen and trained and sent as lead mothers to their particular group where they will not only provide knowledge but see whether that knowledge is put to practice and whether this leads to behaviour development. A lead mother is given some 10-15 families to examine and mark her observations in a checklist which is given to every family.
"Each child was provided with a mid day meal where half of the contribution was from the mothers and the other half was from ChildFund," says onsite project officer, Chamila.
"The mothers conduct an educative session where they would speak to the children about what types of food they are eating that day, the colours and sizes of the vegetables and make them identify as many foods as possible."
The home gardening session was a success too as families soon realized that it reduced their expenditure and the food was also more tasty and healthy. They also had a "Singithi Pola" at the pre-school where the children sold their produce, learning all the while about vegetables, spices and fruits.
Some of the objectives Childcare wants to achieve are awareness and practice on proper childhood nutrition, mothers, fathers and caregivers in target communities to have improved knowledge, behaviour, attitude and practices on proper childcare and development and increased community and government support. |
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