NELSON MANDELA CHILDREN’S FUND Early Childhood Development NMCF’s Funding Model Zanele Makombe

Nelson Mandela Children Children’s Fund Overview THE VISION “ To change the way society treats its children and youth”. OUR MISSION “To give voice and dignity to the African child by building a rights-based movement.

In Line With Sakha Ikusasa III, The Fund will Focus on the following programme areas: Goelama 2 Child Protection Youth For Change Sports For Good Imbeleko The Fund’s Programmes,…

Value Propositions Va The Programme Areas Will Be Underpinned By The Five Strategic Value Propositions: Facilitation Of Child Participation Advocacy For Community Responsiveness Accountability For Children’s Rights Creation Of A Safe, Protective And Nurturing Child-rights Environment Facilitation Of A Coherent Knowledge Repository

The Special Project ‘s Nelson Mandela Children's Hospital

Context Originally the Fund was more reactive with over 200 funded partners. The Fund’s funding policies and development objectives. Fund made a decision to make a huge investment on community based interventions and ECD was one critical element. Extremely desperate situation of children at that time with 83% of the Children who did not access centre based ECD.

CONTEXT Fund‘s response was to find alternative models of care for rural communities. Fund decided to locate the ECD programme within the Family. The Fund then piloted the approach in 8 villages in Northern Cape/North West. Further Replication took place in KZN. Lessons from the pilot informed the Fund’s funding approach.

Funding of ECD Models Fund promotes and encourages approaches that aim at strengthening families and communities in order to reach the child. The models funded focused on the broader processes of people centered development. Community systems and process, a supportive environment for children and families is developed. Three main levels funded :- Entry, Service provision and organisational development

Funding ECD Models Entry Level Funding focused on; Assessing the relevance of the interventions, Partnership building, Community analysis/Profiling, baselines, Tswelelopele Initiative in Northern Cape. Baselines done by the Valley Trust on the status of children in KZN Early Learning Resource Unit – offered NMCF’s strategy or ECD framework for the children’s Fund ECD. Programmes Support from the Fund

Funding ECD Models Service Service Provision The main aim for this support was to reach children through quality services. Activities funded included: Programme Activities –Training of ECD practitioners ( family Fieldworkers). –Stipends for Family Field workers –Toys and Equipment –Food packages –Monitoring and evaluations ( ECD co-ordinators ) –Funded start up on Sustainable Livelihood projects. – Exchange Visits for Continued learning and growth

Funding ECD Models Organisational Development –Board training –Strategic planning, –Proposal development –Evaluations –Audits –Systems development

Fund’s role Overall the Fund’ role was: Funding Technical support Advocacy Research Knowledge Repository

Challenges Sustainability of projects staff turnovers Leadership changes Fathers/males not taking part in ECD projects

Highlights Community ownership of ECD projects. – Case of KCFC. A Family based ECD model Female caregivers given an opportunity to take part in their own development. There is a strong interaction between pre-schools and Family based ECD programmes. Lessons from the Family based ECD which were drawn from Izingane Zethu / A re Direng Model informed the Fund’s strategic thinking.

Theory of Change

Improving the well being of children through a development model that includes integrated early childhood development: prevention, care and support for children and youth with disability and collective community leadership of action for creating enabling environments for children. The Valley Trust THANK YOU