Early Childhood Development Programming: KANCO Experience Peter Kamau Deputy Executive Director

Vision and Mission KANCO is a consortium of CBOs, NGOs, FBOs and institutions of higher learning interested on HIV, TB, Nutrition and health Vision Healthy people, empowered communities Mission To improve health and well- being among communities through capacity building and promotion of innovative leadership

ECD Programming Focus Currently implementing ECD programs funded through Conrad Hilton Foundation and Theirworld

Why ECD? Early childhood experiences have a profound impact on brain development (0 – 3 years) and on subsequent success later in life Early education investment yield a return that far exceeds the return on most public projects that are considered economic development The fact that preschool yield more than $8 for every $1 invested 

ECD Programming Focus Civil Society capacity development Community Health Workers training and on going support to ECD Care givers and household engagement on ECD by community Health worker

ECD Programming Focus Building on the experience Create champions in ECD in the East and Southern African region Advocacy in ECD at the national and county levels

Key Achievements CSOs embracing ECD as key intervention in addressing health challenges Improved capacity of some organization using a soft touch approach Integration of ECD interventions among CHWs Integration of the grassroots model of advocacy in the program

Key Achievements KANCO now sits in the ECD Technical working group KANCO is part of the National ECD Network

‘Before the KANCO training in all other trainings I had been to as a community health volunteer, I had never heard of ECD, this knowledge for me was an eye opener, not just to be a better parent to my children but also armed me with the tools to engage caregivers in my community to better raise our children’ Mary Matibo, Chwele ,Bungoma.

“As a grandmother the ECD training greatly empowered me, I wish this would have come earlier when was raising my children because now I know the importance of laying the foundation of children right between 0-8 years. However I am now armed with the knowledge to transform our communities and that is why I use my own example to engage caregivers to raise their children better to unlock their potential” (Yusud CBO, Minister for Children rights and protection Kisumu)

Why Advocacy? The need to go beyond numbers to use the evidence gathered in the implementation in year 1 and 2 to give structural solutions to the problem To ensure there are policies to support ECD -At KANCO service delivery is not an end in itself but a launching pad of for policy and advocacy- this is therefore within KANCO’s DNA

Seek for more government funding and ownership!! CURRENT FOCUS Seek for more government funding and ownership!! Review of the National Early Childhood Development and Education policy – to be in tandem with the new Kenyan constitution, vision 2030 and the SDGs Domestic Resource Mobilization Promotion of Multi- Sectoral collaboration at the national and county levels Creation of ECD champions in the Kenya Legislative Assembly and the County Assemblies

As a trained teacher, I took on the new ECD knowledge and I am now training ECD teachers throughout the county; This is because, now fully understand the benefits of investing in children while they are still young, I am excited to be part of the change I want to see in our children.Yusud

CHEW Facilitating a training for CHWs in Mombasa

Drafting of the Kisumu ECDE Policy

A CHW reporting during a Reflection meeting in Mombasa

Review of the National ECDE Policy at Maanzoni

Review of the National ECDE Policy at Maanzoni

THANK YOU!