Lifeline Childline (LL/CL) and Church Alliance for Orphans (CAFO) with support from The Roger Federer Foundation is implementing a seven year nationwide School Readiness Programme in Namibia targeting 2000 Early Childhood Development Centre’s (ECDC) and 1000 public primary schools. The programme has commenced with an 18 month pilot project in July 2018 covering 150 ECD Centre’s and 55 public primary schools in four regions (Khomas, Oshana, Kavango East and West) until end of 2019. In the programme context, school readiness implies that children are developmentally on track in health, learning and psychosocial well-being before entering in primary school.
Overall Goal
To secure a good start into primary education for vulnerable children 3-8 years of age due to access to quality early childhood education and a smooth transition through:
1. Establishing
Processes of joint responsibility for early learners
2. Scaling
Access to age appropriate learning facilities
3. Enhance
Competency of educators on early learning
Early Childhood Development
The overall goal of the LL/CL ECD projects sponsored by the Roger Federer Foundation (3 – 6 year olds) and B2Gold (0 – 7 year olds):
LifeLine/ChildLine Namibia supports 100 ECD Centres in Khomas and Hardap and 35 Centres in Otjozondjupa Regions. The overarching goal of these interventions is to cultivate a more enabling environment for children to thrive by complementing national efforts to improve quality of Early Childhood Care, Development and Education in Namibia through a holistic and community-driven approach.
Approach
All ECD Centres are grouped together into clusters. Guidance and support for ECD Centres is provided based on development and implementation of Centre Development Plans in collaboration with parents and involved community members.
Capacity building takes place on a continuous basis, where all centres receive visits and support on a monthly basis, as well as quarterly mentoring and support on an individual and cluster-level conducted by our Community-Based Facilitators (CBF).
Expected Outcomes
- Capacities of ECD Centre staff and volunteers to provide child-centred care, learning and support as a foundation for quality early childhood education is enhanced.
2. Quality of ECD Centres’ services is improved to reach the Namibian Standards for ECD, as set out by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare.
3. Model ECD Centres have developed which excel in one or more identified key areas and have the capacity to provide support to other ECD Centres in those areas of excellence.
4. Interaction between parents and ECD Centres increase; parents are involved in creating an enabling environment for children to thrive.
- Communities have a greater understanding of and commitment to children, parents, and the value and importance of Early Childhood Development.
- Collaboration and networking around ECD among stakeholders (including training institutions) at community and national level is stimulated and further developed.