Scaling Up Early Childhood Development in Zambia: Quarterly Progress Report – Q2 2021

The project is being implemented in 10 health facility catchment areas from Kalomo, Choma, and Pemba districts of Southern Province and Nyimba district of Eastern Province. The project is funded by USAID and Grand Challenges Canada, with a total budget of $60,042,928.40. The project's scope includes the implementation of community-based parenting groups and book distribution at scale through the Maternity Waiting Homes (MWHs) and Safe Motherhood Action Group (SMAG) platform. The project is being implemented in partnership with Boston University School of Public Health and the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute. The project's goal is to improve early childhood development outcomes, including cognitive, language, and social-emotional development, as well as nutritional status. The project has made significant progress in the reporting period, with 98% of head mothers conducting at least one community-based parenting group meeting per month, and 98% of caregiver-child pairs attending at least one CBPG meeting per quarter. The project has also conducted routine phone call check-ins with SMAGs and health facility staff to monitor implementation delivery progress. Additionally, the project has implemented male engagement in playful parenting curriculum training, with 80 integrated groups convened during the reporting period and 386 men attending the groups. The project has also received a site visit from USAID, which was attended by SUpErCDZ AOR Dr Mutinta Nalubamba and Strategic Information Advisor Patrick Amanzi, and from Right to Care Zambia, SUpErCDZ COP Thandiwe Ngoma, Curriculum Development M&E Manager Mwanza Nakawala, Study Coordinator Belinda Mukemu, and driver Daniel Munkombwe. The USAID and RTCZ team were received by the HR Officer Peggy Mwale at the district office, and Ministry staff who have worked with RTCZ on the SUpErCDZ project also attended the meeting. The project has also made progress in training SMAGs on the ECD curriculum, with 8 SMAG trainings conducted during the reporting period. The project has also formed 26 parenting groups for men, with men learning about the roles they can play at household level in partnership with their wives to raise the children. Through the meetings, they are learning the importance of under 5 clinic visits, monitoring child growth as indicated on the under 5 card, good nutrition, and play for child development. The project has also reached about 5,970 children under age 5, with an estimated 4,592 caregivers reached. The project has also conducted routine monitoring and supervision visits, with 40 visits conducted during the reporting period. The project has also conducted 15,084 parenting group sessions in the last quarter, with 3,689 sessions conducted in the current quarter. Overall, the project has made significant progress in the reporting period, with a focus on implementing community-based parenting groups and book distribution at scale through the MWHs and SMAG platform. The project has also made progress in training SMAGs on the ECD curriculum, forming parenting groups for men, and conducting routine monitoring and supervision visits.