The focus of this project is mainly on the overall development of the child in enabling the child to achieve full potential through learning of pertinent skills for its own development and that of the immediate family with the approaches of school health clubs and school gardens are aimed at making the children participants to their own development. The participation of children in the management of their health and activities that will encourage healthy lifestyles in their communities will be a major focus of this programme. The project further aims at creating a friendly and healthy learning environment for the comfort of the children. Efforts at seeking children’s views for inclusion in project Planning and implementation will be intensified including activities that help curb these illnesses at school level and creating an environment that promotes good health habits. Projects such as scholarship both in primary and secondary will have deliberate focus on girls in order to ensure a reduction in school dropout due to lack of fees. The programme purpose is to improve conditions for healthy, growth and development of children and their families so that DEV children can realize their rights for survival, development, protection and participation. The specific objectives of the project. improved community (children, youth, male and female) capacity, increased completion of primary education, increased completion of primary education, Increased awareness and respect for the rights of the child and increased awareness on child rights by children. Awareness and Sensitization programmes, Capacity strengthening and empowerment of children, caregivers, SMC’s and the resident communities, School/communities Improvement Plans Support and EMIS and learning are the basic strategies of the project.
Project Background
Overall goal in education aims at supporting all children to realize their right to access to quality education. To achieve this, xxxx supports projects in basic education considerable emphasis on delivery of out-puts targeting needy communities and disadvantaged girls and boys. In previous years this has been done largely through construction of classrooms in schools and supporting vulnerable sponsored children with basic school needs such as books and uniforms. This has not been linked to educational outcomes. In effect, improved classrooms and sanitation has therefore not automatically translated into improved access, performance and completion: which are critical indicators for measuring the effectiveness of the schooling system. In a bid to address this anomaly, xxxx is introducing the Child Rights in School Improvement Programme (CRiSIP) Framework using school (abc) approach targeting 4-10 schools in each (abc). CRiSIP is an initiative to address comprehensively the issues of slum children’s right to quality basic education; children and community participation in school governance; the accountability of teachers, schools and education systems to children and their communities. On the other hand, CRiSIP aims at operationalising xxx Civic driven Child Centred Development programmes with specific reference to Health, HIV AIDS.
Statement of the Problem and Justification
Slums, covering only 5% of Nairobi, provide homes for 2.5 million Kenyans, well over half the city’s entire population. The major challenges of the slum dwellers include high levels of unemployment, low quality housing, lack of health care, hunger, domestic violence and drug abuse lack of and / or poor educational facilities. xxx seeks the support of both organizations; individuals to confront the obstacles of poverty, disease, social alienation of children to empower them realize their dreams as productive and healthy citizens. Generally, access to and enrolments in Basic Education have increased considerably over the past 5 years in Kenya and also in xxx programme areas; Nairobi slum areas. The fact of the matter is that with the introduction of free primary education, xxx witnessed an increase of enrolment in primary schools which resulted to overcrowding in existing classrooms as funds were not allocated on infrastructure to counter the demand raised. The Kenyan government has not yet evaluated the impact of free primary education on delivery of quality education.
However, xxx General Situation analysis conducted in Nairobi Slum areas in the second half of 2011 reveals that delivery of quality basic education has been compromised by the effects of free primary education. It has resulted to high teacher-pupil ratio of 1;80 in most schools and high pupil-textbook ratio of 1; 8 in most schools. This has compromised delivery of quality education and more so in the slum areas of Nairobi. In these slums parents and communities could not meet the financial demand to expand infrastructure, equip the schools or to employ their own trained teachers under school management committees.
xx has mainly been intervening to improve access and quality of primary education, of which the programmes entailed improved infrastructure and facilities (sufficient and safe classrooms, learning material, desks, water and latrines), improved health and nutrition of the students (de-worming, feeding) and specific support to vulnerable children in reducing costs for education (school uniforms). Also, school management committees were strengthened to implement the projects themselves and to be able to improve the access and quality in their schools.
However, a major limitation is the schools lack of and low commitment to utilize the inputs to improve enrolment, attendance, retention, performance, achievement, and learners’ health including HIV AIDS prevention, access to water and sanitation facilities, and protection including participation.
Vision
Striving to assume a programmatic approach to addressing secondary education and training for children from extremely poor backgrounds in the Nairobi slums that addresses the whole person; lifts their hopes and aspirations, and enables them to reach their true potential in whatever area; be it academic, artistic, or practical; prepares them for life, work and membership of society, thus breaking the cycle of poverty.
Overall Goal Objectives and Strategy
xxx is a charity that sponsors Early Child hood education, primary and secondary school educational opportunities for the Deprived, Excluded and Vulnerable (DEV) children living in Nairobi slums, while empowering communities to implement a holistic Child Rights in accessing quality education School Improvement Programme in which quality basic education is available, accessible, acceptable and adaptable to target children.
The programme purpose is to improve conditions for healthy, growth and development of children and their families so that DEV children can realize their rights for survival, development, protection and participation.
It is anticipated that the following specific objectives will be achieved during the life of the programme:
- Improved community (children, youth, male and female) capacity to participate in holistic development of their schools and communities
- Increased completion of primary education particularly that of the girl child in xxxx programme areas
- Increase access to quality basic education (ECCD, primary and secondary) by children in xxx programme areas.
- Increase access to adolescent health information and services particularly that relating to sexual and reproductive health (including STI, HIV AIDS) among pupils in xxxx program areas;
- Increased awareness and respect for the rights of the child by caregivers/parents, teachers and other duty bearers
- Increased awareness on child rights by children and their responsibilities in the realization of their rights.
Proposed Project Strategy
Institutionalizing Child Rights in School Improvement Programmes that will see xxx supporting school management committees, Parents Teachers Associations (PTA) in the development of their own inclusive three-year plans to implement holistic school improvement plan (SIP) for the realization of access to quality education for all the children in their catchments area. xxx is committed to a community for a minimum of 3 years. We have included a lump sum for the implementation of a school improvement plan in each community. xx support to this plan is limited to building capacity through training, technical support and means for structural implementation of the SIP, setting up networks and developing the resource mobilization skills of the school-community representatives.
The following steps will be taken in the CRiSIP:
- Awareness and Sensitization programmes:
- Capacity strengthening and empowerment of children, caregivers, (abc) and the resident communities.
- School/communities Improvement Plans Support
- EMIS and learning
Awareness and Sensitization:
Issues affecting children’s education are found within the school and outside the school environment. (abc) are well positioned to address the wider societal issues that relate to the school communities and involve other agencies and government departments in such issues as poor health, the HIV/AIDS pandemic and child protection.
xxx will support the (abc) through training on roles and responsibilities and the child rights whole school approach. The (abc)s will develop plans based on these initial training and xxx will support the (abc) committees to have sufficient financial support to implement their (abc) committee plans through training on constitution development, resource mobilization and proposal writing.
Capacity building and empowerment:
(abc) committees and school management committee officials will be trained to carry out a participatory child rights situational analysis in each school community in the (abc). The participants in the analysis will include children, parents, teachers, school management committee officials, children and adults with disability in the community, community-based organizations, NGOs working in the community, government officials and all other stakeholders in the school community. The situational analysis will commence with consultation with stakeholders and community members on factors that hinder children’s access to quality education. Together with nominated community members representing different groups of people and children in the community, the (abc) committees and xx will analyse the problems, solutions, roles and responsibilities and capacity gaps of various stakeholders in fulfilling their obligation of enabling children to access quality education in the (abc) and school communities. The end result of this will be; school specific improvement plan spelling out interventions to be undertaken and time frame, responsibilities, and social contract. The analysis will target stakeholders in and out of school to get their voice in holistic school improvement programme and will include information on the rights of children to education, health, protection, livelihood and their responsibilities. The process will be comprehensive to enable school community members and stakeholders to understand issues affecting children and education at the same time enable bring out the realization that they all need to contribute to the solution of the problems.
Financial support for implementation of SIP/(abc) plans:
Financial support to (abc) will be based on the findings from the participatory child rights situational analysis and the subsequent action plan developed into the school improvement plans and (abc) improvement plans. The (abc) will receive financial support to implement the plans. Possible areas for support based on experience in the districts of operation include:
Learning and instructional resources
- School infrastructure development (classrooms construction or rehabilitation, toilets for children and teachers) in the last year of implementation.
- School furniture and equipment (children’s desks and chairs, tables for teachers, book storage facilities, library facility)
- Teacher/ caregivers capacity strengthening (As part of sensitizing and building teachers skills in child rights, support to children and encourage positive discipline and help children to develop skills in basic health, teachers will be trained in child rights, guidance and counselling and basic health)
- Teachers advisor y centre (They are Ministry of Education initiative to support teachers in their pedagogical competency. At the same time, they are centres for teachers to share their skills and resources available since it is not always possible for schools to have highly qualified teachers and facilities for teaching and learning. xx will train teachers using the Training of Trainers approach and the teachers will train other teachers in the (abc) schools)
- (abc) and Board of Governors (BOGs) in good governance and leadership. This project will involve training of PTAs, school governors and school management committees in matters of school governance including planning, financial management and community organization. The amount of government support to school is expected to continue declining over the years. As such the management of the schools including infrastructure developments and provision of learning materials will be left in the care of the community. The school management committees will be trained by xx on their roles and responsibilities, gender and education, participatory school specific situation analysis, planning and how to develop school development plans, community mobilization and identification and utilization of the available resources such as the governments constituency development funds besides others, and school improvement proposal writing. Issues of accountability and transparency in the utilization of available resources for school development will be key areas that will be discussed during the training sessions as they strongly determine the overall community participation in education. This is crucial for increasing enrolment, improving on completion and reducing high wastage through repetition for lack of necessary facilities. An emphasis will be placed on the committee’s role on ensuring higher enrolment and completion of education for girls. Advocacy skills on the rights of the girl child will also be in the curriculum. xxx will link the school (abc) committees to the Government of Kenya’s effort on training school committee utilizing the adapted PRISM package an initiative of DFID through the Ministry of Education. The primary school management (PRISM) places a lot of emphasis on participatory approaches and emphasis on mobilizing community support, resource management and utilization, supporting learning of pupils and developing action plans. xx will also link (abc) committees to work closely with bodies specialized in the rights of the child
- Satellite ECCDE linked to (abc) (a number of Early Childhood Care and Development Education centres are set up within the communities. Once the children from the centres have been prepared, they join a primary school. Such children then enter grade one in a primary school. The primary school works with a number of the centres within the community and they are referred to in the document as the satellite ECCDE centres) Support to children and youth out of school – Life skills and vocational training for youth out of school, child to child clubs, child savings clubs, agricultural clubs.
- Comprehensive school health provision (HIV AIDS care, support and prevention, reproductive health issues for adolescents to equip them with skills to avoid unwanted pregnancies, prevention from STI, HIV AIDS and use of available reproductive health services. The pupils and teachers as well as PTA members to be trained on the relationships between a hygienic environment, personal hygiene and the absence of common communicable diseases).
EMIS training, review and participatory M & E support
- xx will train the (abc) committees and schools in the use of the government supported EMIS (Education Management Information System) to ensure that they do not only collect but also to utilize the information for improvement of their schools. At the Community level, school (abc) committees, leaders, school management committees, children and women will be trained on participator y monitoring and evaluation approaches to enable them effectively participate in monitoring and evaluation of the programme at school and community level.
Geographic focus of the proposal
xx intends to start with Kibera slum which is nonetheless a vibrant community surviving and often thriving with hundreds of small shops, health clinics, schools, churches, mosques, community groups, movie theatres, corn mills, battery charging kiosks, kerosene stations, water vending points, and pay-showers and latrines. Music pours from radios and CD shops, and life proceeds in a rhythm much like any other urban spot in the world.
Proposed Programme Implementation Principles Presentation
- Child Centeredness
- The focus of this programme is mainly on the overall development of the child in enabling the child to achieve full potential through learning of pertinent skills for its own development and that of the immediate family. The approaches of school health clubs and school gardens are aimed at making the children participants to their own development. The project further aims at creating a friendly and healthy learning environment for the comfort of the children. Efforts at seeking children’s views for inclusion in project Planning and implementation will be intensified.
- Institutional Learning
- In implementing this programme, ongoing process of information sharing across GF Kenya programme areas will be strengthened as well as learning from other institutions that are involved in similar programmes. This will ensure the quality of the planned interventions and utilisation of resources on areas that have proven impacts at community level. GF Kenya draws experiences from similar programmes that has been implemented such as EMACK by Agkhan Foundation in the Coast province to institute improved program approach. The child friendly schools by UNICEF will be explored as an approach that takes into consideration interactive learning, Children participation; individual children need and unites the class, family and the community.
- Integration
- Good health is a prerequisite in total growth and development of children. Easily preventable diseases are causes of absenteeism in school and achievement among many children. The programme aims at including activities that help curb these illnesses at school level and creating an environment that promotes good health habits. The participation of children in the management of their health and activities that will encourage healthy lifestyles in their communities will be a major focus of this programme. Provision of rain catchment water tanks and construction of VIP latrines in school will enhance the learning environment of the pupils.
- Gender Equity
- Education completion rates as noted in the problem analysis especially for the girl child will be addressed to reduce the gender disparity. Projects such as scholarship both in primary and secondary will have deliberate focus on girls in order to ensure a reduction in school dropout due to lack of fees. Family life orientation, counselling sessions and other general community awareness sessions will deliberate on issues of cultural factors affecting the girl child education especially on the provision of equal education opportunities, adoption of healthy reproductive health practices and cultural factors such as early marriages. Through Community Development Trusts leaders, School (abc)committees, the child rights clubs will be established in schools where they do not exist and their patrons and children trained especially the girl child to understand their rights, share information. Children will also have discussion on varied career selection. There will also be community sensitization through use Participatory Education Theatre (PET) performances on issues of gender and child rights especially in as far as they affect the education and well-being of the girl child.
- Empowerment and Sustainability.
- The participating communities will be trained in problem identification and solving as well as resource identification and utilization including enrolled of grade two children as ambassadors for mobilizing resources for long term engagement through child sponsorship programme as supported by xx. The process of empowerment will include participation of children in school strategic plan preparation. It is anticipated that children will be availed forums to air their views through democratically elected children council.
- Whereas the Community Development Trust, school committee and parents will be involved in decision making in planning, implementation and evaluation. This will enable communities to identify with the process and hence own and manage the initiated School improvement Programme. Building of pertinent skills for the leaders, school committees and the schoolteachers will follow this. The end result will be an empowered community able to assess its rights including that of children and come up with workable solutions to address /claim them. The built-up skills will enable the participating partners to undertake and sustain the initiatives in absence of GF support.
- Social Contract and Co-operation.
- The success of this programme to a large extent is dependent on the support and co-operation of the communities, government departments, NGOs and the school communities through a signed social contract in which roles are defined and taken up especially in the aspects that are not part of the formal curriculum. All the communities as well as government department officers and school administration and existing civil societies will participate in the planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of this programme. The issue of Social Contract and obligations of each player will be the major emphasis in fostering co-operation and holistic implementation of this programme.
Monitoring and Evaluation
Monitoring of the programme will be done through half year narrative progress reports from the Programme officers to the Director and through frequent site visits by the Programme Office Coordinator. XX will also apply Social Returns on investment approach as a strategy for monitoring and evaluation besides what has been mentioned in this paragraph. XX will report to N4Kids on a half year basis on the progress of the project and yearly financially.
