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AN ADVOCACY AND COMMUNICATIONSTRATEGY FOR EARLY CHILDHOODDEVELOPMENT IN MALAWI

The Government of Malawi

MMERAMPOYAMBA


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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Acknowledgements

Foreword

Justifcation and Rationale

Goal

Objectives

Components o the strategy

Brand

Background to Early

Childhood Development

The Policy Framework

The Institutional

and Legal Framework

The Advocacy Strategy

The Public Awareness Strategy

Communication Brie

Management o the Advocacy

and Communication Strategy

1

2

3

4

4

4

4

6

8

10

10

19

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTSThis strategy is the product o a collaborative eort o a task orce comprising

individuals rom key organizations involved in the ECD programming in Malawi:

Hyacinth Kulemeka-Kishindo, ormerly o UNESCO and now Director or Child

Development in the Ministry o Gender, Child and Community Development, Francis

Chalamanda rom the Ministry o Gender, Child and Community Development, Karen

Manda, Jacqueline Kabambe, Rachel Maganga and Chaliza Matola rom UNICEF,

Mary Phiri rom the Sub-Saharan Arica Family Enrichment Programme (SAFE) and

National Chairperson o the ECD Network, and Dr. Forster Kholowa, a member o the

ECD Network and Lecturer at the University o Malawi,. Acknowledgements also go

to Victor Chinyama o UNICEF or acilitating the process o developing this strategy

and nalizing the strategy document.

1 2

FOREWORDEarly Childhood Development (ECD) is a comprehensive approach to policies and programmes or children rombirth to eight years o age, their parents and caregivers. Its purpose is to protect and promote the childs rights todevelop his or her ull cognitive, emotional, social and physical potential. Children who have gone through ECDare school ready, excel in class, and have higher chance o completing their school cycle compared to those whohave not and are successul in lie. ECD presents many benets. Children who have gone through ECD servicesare more productive in socio-economic development and lead a better quality lie. The country benets by savingresources used in remedial education, healthcare and rehabilitation services. There are also higher earningsor parents and care givers who are reer to enter the labour orce. ECD has a central role in the attainment othe Malawi Growth and Development Strategy Goal o reducing poverty through sustained economic growth.

This goal is also in tandem with the Millennium Development Goal o eradicating extreme hunger and poverty,ensuring that all children live healthy lives, attain gender equality, are protected rom the eects o HIV and AIDS,and complete primary school education.

Since the National Policy on ECD was adopted in 2004, great strides have been made to improve the quality oECD programme being provided to young children in Malawi. Malawi now has a well-dened implementationstructure at community, district and national levels. A National ECD Network is ully unctional, providing a orumor networking, collaborating and partnership between various stakeholders. There is better coordination oservice delivery among organizations and eorts are ongoing to improve their capacities to ensure access, qualityand airness in ECD services. Despite its benets, ECD suers rom poor unding and limited visibility. This is mostunortunate as the need or increase public awareness was recognized as early as 2003 when the policy wasapproved. I am, thereore, pleased that my Ministry, in partnership with other relevant Government ministries andnon-governmental organizations and technical and nancial support rom UNICEF, has been able to develop thisNational Advocacy and Communication Strategy, Mmera Mpoyamba.

Mmera Mpoyamba is an Advocacy and Communication Strategy or ECD meant to raise awareness and lobby ormore unding or ECD services. Mmera Mpoyamba, with its connotations o early planting and reaping a bumperharvest will readily resonate with the public as most Malawians are subsistence armers. Mmera Mpoyamba isa comprehensive document with strategies and communication tools or engaging dierent target audiences.Implementation o the strategy will enable the Ministry and its partners to achieve its awareness goals. It isenvisaged that ater Mmera Mpoyamba implementation more nancial, material, human and other resourceswill be made available towards ECD activities so that the majority o children who are currently excluded can alsobenet. It is also expected that amilies, organizations and communities will strive to provide complete care ortheir children including the orphaned and vulnerable children and children with special needs so that t hey growinto productive citizens and get their amilies out o the poverty trap.

It is the wish o the Ngwazi Dr. Bingu wa Mutharika, the president o the Republic o Malawi, to accord all childreno Malawi better ECD services so that they can have good start in lie. Thus, the Advocacy and CommunicationStrategy supports his eorts to provide better early childhood development services to all children. Thereore, I

urge all individual Malawians, Development Partners, NGOs, CBOs, FBOs, the Private Sector and Human RightsOrganizations involved in implementing the Mmera Mpoyambaadvocacy and communication strategy to worktirelessly and diligently to achieve the advocacy objectives that will benet all the children in Malawi and beyondthe boarders. The advocacy and communication will unlock interest and resources which will give all Malawianchildren the best start in lie and a brighter uture o our beautiul land o re, Malawi.

Honourable Patricia Kaliyati, MP

Minister of Gender, Children and Community Development


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JUSTIFICATION & RATIONALE

3 4

Children constitute an important segment o the population in Malawi. O theestimated national population o 13.2 million, 6.8 million are aged below 18.According to the national policy on Early Childhood Development (ECD), most

Malawian children lead very dicult lives, oten beset by endemic poverty, chronic

diseases and a dearth o opportunities or mental and emotional development.

The period rom conception to eight years is the most critical or a childs mental and

cognitive development and growth. It orms the oundation or later learning andsocialization and the start a child has will determine the quality o lie that child will

lead in uture. Investing in a childs lie during this critical phase thereore ensures a

better lie or the child and the nation.

Early Childhood Development interventions are one way o providing care

and stimulation services to children during their ormative years. Dened as a

comprehensive approach to policies and programmes or children rom conceptionto eight years which encompasses their health, education, nutrition, hygiene and

sanitation as well as social development, ECD protects a childs right to develop to

ull potential cognitively, emotionally, socially, psychologically and physically.

In Malawi, ECD has been in existence rom as early as the 1950s. Yet as a concept,

ECD is not well known by communities and is least understood by policy and

decision makers. The Integrated Strategic and Implementation Plan or ECD 2008-2012 identies the low prole and visibility o ECD in Malawi as one o the actors

negatively aecting service delivery. Not many politicians and citizens appreciate

the importance o ECD, resulting in a low priority accorded to ECD, absence o a line

on ECD in the national budget and relatively low community involvement in ECDactivities.

The goal o this advocacy and communication strategy is to raise public awareness oEarly Childhood Development in Malawi.

OBJECTIVESThe strategy has three objectives:

To create awareness o ECD among policy makers and technocrats;1.

To advocate or increased nancial and resource investments in ECD programmes2.

in Malawi; andTo raise public awareness on ECD to 80 per cent o the population.3.

COMPONENTSThis strategy is divided into two parts:

Creating awareness and advocating or increased resource allocation to ECD1.among policymakers, technocrats and donors; and

Creating public awareness o ECD.2.

BRANDThe advocacy and communication strategy on ECD will be called Mmera Mpoyamba,

which means ones uture is determined by how one starts in lie. It captures the

essence o ensuring that children have a good start in lie in order or them to realizetheir ull potential as they grow up into adults.

Growing up with poverty, malnutrition, poor health, and un-stimulating homeenvironments, millions o children in Malawi lack the means to ully develop their

cognitive, motor, and social-emotional skills. It is essential thereore to emphasize

the notion that by not investing in these children in the present, Malawi risks raisinga generation o its citizens that lacks the necessary skills to compete in a globalized

world.

GOAL


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...BRAND

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Given its connotations with planting and reaping, Mmera Mpoyamba will galvanizeleaders and seize the imagination o communities because it is a phrase that most

Malawians, living as they do in a predominantly agricultural nation, will associatewith. It shows a direct connection between what Malawi sows now in its young

citizens and what the nation can expect to reap in uture.

To enhance recognition o ECD, a logo and jingle have been developed.

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BACKGROUND TO EARLY CHILDHOOD

DEVELOPMENT IN MALAWIEarly childhood development activities in Malawi in the 1950s were ocused on theprovision o care to young preschool children. Mostly operated by missionary groups,

these centers enrolled children or two years beore they proceeded to Standard One.The rst conventional ECD Center was established by the Church o Central Arican

Presbytery in 1966 at the Henry Henderson Institute in Blantyre. This initial eort

was soon ollowed by a mushrooming o centers taking many orms, some operatingas day care centers and others as preschool play groups. Community-Based Care

Centers (CBCCs) were later introduced in the late 1980s.

Pre-school play groups were the most common. As their numbers swelled, the

Association o Preschool Play Groups in Blantyre was ormed in 1970 to coordinatetheir activities. It was later renamed the Association o Preschool Playgroups in Malawi

in1972.

Chronic malnutrition and the increasing numbers o children orphaned by AIDS ledto demand or community-based child care. CBCCs mushroomed in 1998 to provide

comprehensive care to orphans and other vulnerable children (OVC). The need arose

or a policy ramework to guide ECD programmes and activities in the country and in2003, the Government launched a National Policy on Early Childhood Development

to provide guidelines and coordination or implementation o ECD activities inMalawi.

A national ECD Network o stakeholders and child care proessionals was soon ormedto coordinate ECD programmes and a core team o national and district trainers

identied. Parent committees have been established to mobilize resources andprovide leadership and guidance in the management o ECD services. An inventory o

existing community-based care centers was undertaken in 2008 to create a database

o all CBCCs operating in Malawi. The inventory shows that there are a total o 5,665

CBCCs operating in Malawi.

Overall, the growth in the number o ECD centers operating in Malawi suggests that

there exists a sustainable demand or these services. From 649 centers catering or32,000 children (aged 6 years and below) in 1996, the centers had mushroomed to

7,800 by 2007 catering or 684,000 children o the same age-group. These children,

lucky enough to attend an ECD center, represented only 30 per cent o all children inthat age-group needing to be reached with ECD services. The 70 per cent o under-six

children currently not being reached represent a lost opportunity, an unacceptableomission the ull costs o which can only be athomed in the years to come.


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THE POLICY FRAMEWORK

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Prior to 2003, Malawi had no policy on early child development. As the Government

progressed with its agenda to eradicate poverty, it became necessary to develop

a policy in order to integrate ECD into the poverty eradication agenda. The policy

would also provide guidelines and coordination o ECD activities in Malawi.

Early Childhood Development is also reerenced in the Malawi Growth and

Development Strategy, which though not mentioning ECD specically, recognizes

the need to have an expanded inrastructure and increased access to preschool.

The National Policy on Early Childhood Development argued or greater investments

in early child development in order to break the intergenerational cycle o povertythat was rooted in unequal distribution o resources especially among poor children.

The uture o the nation, the policy argued, would be built on a sound and solid

oundation i all children were aorded a air and sound start to lie.

Elements o ECD are ound in several other policy instruments. The National Gender

Policy (2000) promotes gender equality in education and training, reproductive health,

ood and nutrition environmental and natural resources management, governance

and human rights, and participation and economic empowerment. These actors

have a major bearing on early child development and are mainstreamed in ECD

programming.

Other policies aimed at providing care, protection, development and participation

o children in tandem with the ECD Policy are The National Policy on Youth (1998),

The Decentralization Policy (1996), The National Policy on Orphan Care (1996),

The National Education Policy/Policy Investment Framework (2000), The National

education Sector Plan (2008), The National Sports Policy (2000), The Health Policy

(2000), The Policy on People with Disability (2002/2006), The Nutrition Policy (2003),

The Inant and Young Child Feeding Policy (2003), and The HIV and AIDS Policy (2000),the ACSD policy.

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THE INSTITUTIONAL & LEGAL

FRAMEWORKChapter 4, section 23 o the Malawi Constitution stresses the protection o all children

in Malawi. The Department o Child Development in the Ministry o Gender, Child and

Community Development is mandated by various acts o parliament and cabinet

directives to care or and protect the rights and welare o all children in Malawi.

Laws dealing with children and ECD include the Children and Young Persons Act, the

Probation o Oenders Act, the Aliation Act, the Maintenance o Married Women

Act, the Wills and Inheritance Act, the Adoption o Children Act, and the Birth and

Death Registration Act. Others include the Employment o Women Act, the National

Youth Council Act, the Childrens Homes Act, the Penal Code, and the Human RightsProvision.

Malawi has ratied various international commitments that obligate Governments

to provide services, including ECD. These include the Convention on the Rights o the

Child (CRC) and the Convention on the Elimination o Discrimination Against Women

(CEDAW), the Education For All (EFA) commitments, the Millennium Development

Goals (MDGs), the World Fit or Children (WFC) , and the Arican Union Charter on the

Rights and Welare o the Child.

Early Child Development services related to health are provided through the Ministry

o Health. These include Integrated Management o Childhood Diseases (IMCI),

accelerated Child Survival and Development (ACSD), Prevention o Mother-to-Child

Transmission o HIV (PMTCT), and ante natal and newborn care. Nutrition programmes

are provided through nutrition Rehabilitation Units, communal gardens, and school-

eeding programs. Water and sanitation services are provided through the Ministry

water Development and Irrigation. A national ECD Network, comprising various

stakeholders, provides a platorm or networking and collaboration on ECD activities

at national level.

ECD centres, such as Community-Based Care Centers, kindergartens, and preschoolsprovide early learning and stimulation. Communities are engaged in ECD activities

through parent support programs.

Childrens corners provide orphans and vulnerable children the opportunity to

receive psychosocial support. ECD services are also provided through alternative

care programmes like oster care and orphanages. Social protection programs like


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...THE INSTITUTIONAL & LEGAL

FRAMEWORK

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cash transer schemes provide an enabling environment or the proper growth anddevelopment o children.

The Ministry o Water and Irrigation promotes early childhood care through provision

o sae water and sanitation. The Ministry o Education through the National Education

Sector Plan (NESP) identies access and equity, quality and relevance, governanceand management as the key strategies or providing ECD.

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ADVOCACY STRATEGY

Early Childhood Development is not well-known as a concept and a programme inMalawi. As a result, it suers rom exclusion by key policy and decision makers who

decide on allocation o resources within their ministries. These include Ministers,

Principal Secretaries and Directors. Although ECD is refected in dierent sector

policies, in reality it receives little or no priority in national planning, resource allocation

and programme implementation. There are no support structures in ministries andorganizations to ensure that ECD is mainstreamed in their activities.

Awareness raising eorts will also be directed at cooperating partners operating in

Malawi.

The existence o an ECD policy and a national strategic plan has not necessarily resulted

in understanding o ECD and commitment rom policy makers to make it work. This

advocacy strategy aims to create greater understanding o ECD and how individual

ministries and organizations can contribute to strengthening ECD programmes. Inparticular, awareness creation eorts will be directed at technocrats in key ministries,

such as principal secretaries and directors.

Eorts will also be targeted at creating greater understanding o the linkages between

ECD and other sectors like health, education, nutrition, water and sanitation, ensuringthat ECD is mainstreamed in national and sectoral plans and accorded the necessary

priority in resource allocation and p rogramme implementation.

The strategy will also advocate or improved linkages among sectors and programmesand the creation o support structures in key ministries and organizations.


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...ADVOCACY STRATEGY

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Communication ToolsCommunication tools targeted at policy and decision makers need to be strategicand regularly accessed by these audiences. Only mass media that demonstrates anability to reach these audiences will be used and transmission times limited to thosetimes when the audiences are likely to be tuned in. The ollowing tools will be used:

Newspapers, radio and television.BillboardsWebsites.

Reports.

Fliers & actsheets.Speeches.

National Early Childhood Development NetworkThe national ECD network will lead advocacy eorts. Its responsibilities will be:

To spearhead all advocacy eorts related to ECD.To lobby or increased resource allocations to ECD programmes.To work closely with the Eminent Person on ECD and the Panel o Experts on alladvocacy initiative.To lobby or the establishment o a National ECD Awareness Week, the hostingo a National ECD Forum, and the establishment o a parliamentary caucus onECD.

Eminent Advocate on Early Child DevelopmentIt is proposed that an Eminent Person be appointed to lend a moral voice to EarlyChildhood Development in Malawi. The person appointed should be o a high moralstanding in Malawian society and should share a commitment to improving the liveso children.

Know the basics o ECD.

Know the components o ECD and its cross-cutting and holistic

nature.

Understand the importance and benefts o ECD.


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Panel o Early Child Development ExpertsIt is urther proposed that a panel o experts on Early Child Development deconstituted to provide intellectual and expert leadership to the development o ECDin Malawi. The terms o reerence o the panel shall be:

To oversee the National Conerence on Early Childhood Development;To use their expertise to guide the development o ECD in Malawi.To identiy areas in ECD requiring urther research and contribute to the body oknowledge in Malawi and globally.To provide expert opinion to the public through mass media and other mass

communication channels.

National ECD Awareness WeekIt is proposed that a National ECD Awareness Week be established in order to raise theprole o ECD in Malawi. As the country is already inundated with commemorativedays and events, it is proposed that the Awareness Week be devoid o commemorative

activities and events that tend to suck up lots o eort and money but have no realbenecial value or impact. Instead, the Awareness week will be a period o intensiedawareness-raising through saturation o the mass media with news and inormationabout ECD.

In order to enhance media capacity to report on ECD, eld trips will be organized orjournalists within and outside Malawi. It is urther proposed that national awards be

set up to honour journalists who exhibit excellence in reporting on ECD.

The Awareness Week shall be kept foating in 2009 but will be xed to a specic weeko the year rom 2010 onwards.

Annual National ECD ForumIt is proposed that a National Forum on Early Childhood Development be convenedin 2009 to bring together researchers, practitioners, and experts to share knowledge,experiences, and programme trends in ECD. The Forum will bring together Malawian

participants as well as regional and international experts and will not only shine apowerul public spotlight on ECD but will also serve as a platorm or shaping theuture o ECD in Malawi. The Forum will be held annually.

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...ADVOCACY STRATEGYParliamentary Caucus on ECDThe ECD Policy envisions the creation o Cabinet and Parliamentary Committees onECD as a means o bringing ECD closer to the center o political power. Eorts will bemade to lobby the creation o a parliamentary caucus on ECD, drawing on members

rom the social aairs, education, health, water and sanitation, justice and nance,parliamentary sub-committees.


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Currently, UNICEF is the only major development partner that is unding ECD

activities in Malawi, with an allocation o MWK 350 million (USD 2.5 million) in 2 008.

The National ECD Strategic Plan 2008-2012 is costed to a tune o MWK 63.7 billion

or the period 2008-2011. But with inadequate amounts allocated in 2007 rom the

national treasury to ECD activities in the Ministry o Gender, Child and Community

Development, ECD plans and activities in the ministry mandated by the national ECD

policy to regulate and coordinate all ECD p rogrammes in Malawi remain hobbled by

poor unding.

This communication strategy will advocate or increased unding rom the national

treasury or ECD activities in Malawi as costed in the National ECD Strategic Plan.

At the moment, it is unknown how much money line ministries allocate to ECD

programmes. To obtain a better idea o unding to ECD activities, a mapping o

ECD resource allocations in various Government ministries will be undertaken, the

results o which will be used to better sharpen the argument or increased resource

allocation.

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Key Messages

Target AudiencesAdvocacy or increased resources or ECD will be targeted at decision makers and

technocrats in the Ministry o Finance. Lobbying eorts will be aimed at increasing

the unding allocated or ECD programmes in the national budget.

Policy and decision makers in ministries will be lobbied to increase undingallocations to ECD activities within their line budgets. Advocacy eorts will also

include encouraging cooperating partners to und ECD programmes.

In addition, the strategy aims to leverage resources or ECD in NGOs and city and

district assemblies. Advocacy eorts will thereore be directed at heads o NGOs and

the CEOs o city and district assemblies.

The frst year o a child lasts orever.Access to ECD services is every childs right. No Malawian child should be letbehind.

Early stimulation supports a childs development now and throughout lie.Most developmental activities are ormed in the frst 3 years o lie.Socio-economic development starts with early child development.Early Child Development helps break the intergenerational cycle o poverty.Early Child Development leads to increased school and workplace productivity.

For every child denied ECD services, Malawi loses 20% o its investments in thatchild.For every dollar Malawi invests in quality ECD, there is a return o $17.01 in costsavings. Children that have gone through ECD have ewer class repetitions,

drop out o school less oten, are less delinquent. These children will also incur

the country and amily ewer medical expenses - $12.90 saved by the national

treasury and $4.17 saved by the amily The Lancet Series).

Know where resource gaps exist in ECD and how you can help bridge the gap.Prevention is less expensive than treatment.


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StrategiesTo advocate or increased resource allocation to ECD, these strategies will beemployed:

Interpersonal meetings a Presidential breakast, a roundtable discussions, pressconerences, and courtesy calls.

Lobbying.Evidence-based inormation kits showing the opportunity cost o not investingin children. Inormation will be derived rom, among others, the Lancet Series

on Early Childhood Development, the Malawi Nutrition Proles, and the District

Health Expenditure Study.

Human interest stories testimonies, demonstrations.

AlliesThe roles and responsibilities o organizations in ECD are clearly spelt out in the

National ECD Policy. The Ministry o Gender, Child and Community Development,

as the custodian o this advocacy and communication strategy, will coordinate and

direct implementation. The Ministry will also monitor implementation and provide

oversight. The ollowing allies will support the implementation o this strategy:

Ministry o Health in health-related aspects o ECD (IMCI, ACSD, Nutrition)Ministry o Education, Science and Technology in early learning and stimulation,curriculum development, and maintaining quality and standards.

Ministry o Agriculture in nutrition and ood security.Ministry o Irrigation and Water Development in the provision o water andsanitation.

Ministry o Labour in child protectionMinistry o Finance and Ministry o Economic Planning and Development inresource allocation and p lanning.

Ministry o Inormation and Civic Education in public awareness and civiceducation.

Ministry o Justice in childrens rights and protection.Ministry o Persons with Disabilities and the Elderly in suppor ting children withdisabilities.Dept o Nutrition in the Oce o the President and Cabinet in nutrition and HIVand AIDS.

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...ADVOCACY STRATEGYNon-governmental actors include:

Civil society organizations.International NGOs.Development partners (UNICEF, WHO, WFP, World Bank).Local and international ECD experts.

The National Network will be the primary orum or sharing inormation. Other or awill be:

Quarterly meetingsWebsite

Research study launches

Press conerencesRadio/TV programmes

EvaluationIndicators or the advocacy to policy and decision makers and technocrats are:

Greater awareness o ECD.

Increased resources allocated to ECD programmes and activities.

DurationThe advocacy campaign will run between 2008-2012 concurrently with the Integrated

Strategic and Implementation Plan.


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PUBLIC AWARENESS

COMMUNICATION STRATEGY

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Public awareness o ECD services oered in Malawi is generally very low resulting in

poor community support or this important intervention. Communities have scant

appreciation o the role o ECD in providing care and support to young children andtheir involvement is thereore minimal.

At district level, the lack o awareness among extension workers means ECD isalmost always never actored into their annual implementation plans. The extension

workers (district social welare ocers, child protection ocers, health surveillance

assistants, community development assistants, agricultural and orestry ocers arenot empowered enough with knowledge to b e able to mobilize resources or ECD.

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PUBLIC AWARENESS

COMMUNICATION STRATEGYKey messages

Target audiencesParents and guardians.Traditional and religious leaders.ECD caregivers.Local councillors.Extension workersTeachers.

Children.

Strategies and toolsTo raise public awareness on ECD, the ollowing strategies and communication tools

will be used:

Community sensitization through national and community radio.Interpersonal meeting with communities.Drama/Song/Dance/Stories/Puppet Shows.Meetings o District Assemblies.Open DaysMobile vansBillboardsIEC materials like posters, stickers, fiers, Chitenjes.Religious and traditional assembly meetings.Wall murals.Newspaper stories and articles in Boma Lathu.

AlliesMinistry o Inormation and Civic Education.Ministry o Education.Ministry o Health.The Association o Preschool Playgroups in Malawi (APPM).The Media Council o Malawi.Private and public radio stations.Theater and drama groups.Religious and traditional leaders.

Objectives:

To create greater awareness among parents and1.

caregivers of the ECD services provided in theircommunities and enhance community ownership of

ECD programmes.

To increase demand for quality ECD services at2.

household and community levels.

To improve the capacity of service providers at3.

community and district levels to tap into availablefunding through the formulation of village and districtECD implementation plans.


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PUBLIC AWARENESS

COMMUNICATION STRATEGY

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EvaluationKey indicators are:

Objective 1: To create greater awareness among parents and caregivers of the ECD

services provided in their communities and enhance community ownership of ECD

programmes

Number o parent committees established.Number o caregivers providing services in ECD centers.

Objective 2: To increase demand for quality ECD services at household and community

levels.

Number o children registering at ECD centers.

Objective 3: To improve the capacity of service providers at community and district

levels to tap into available funding available through the formulation of village and

district ECD implementation plans.

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MMERA MPOYAMBA

COMMUNICATION BRIEF

Purpose: Why are we producing this campaign?

Children constitute an important segment o the population in Malawi. O the

estimated national population o 13.2 million, 6.8 million are aged below 18. There

is need to add data on how many children are in the early childhood years) Early

Childhood Development interventions are one way o providing care and stimulation

services to children during their ormative years. In Malawi, ECD has been in existence

rom as early as the 1950s. Yet as a concept, ECD is not well known by communitiesand is least understood by po licy and decision makers.

Issues: What is the reality in Malawi?

For every child denied ECD services, Malawi loses 20% o its investments in that1.

child.

For every dollar Malawi invests in quality ECD, there is a return o $17.01 in cost2.

savings. Children that have gone through ECD have ewer class repetitions,

drop out o school less oten, are less delinquent. These children will also incur

the country and amily ewer medical expenses - $12.90 saved by the national

treasury and $4.17 saved by the amily The Lancet Series).

Send your child aged 3-5 years to an ECD centre. The experience will enable your3.

child to be ready or school and perorm better.

Most developmental activities take place within the household, Knowledge and4.

skills on ECD by parents enhances brain development during the rst years o

lie and orms a strong oundation or learning. (and are ormed between 0-2years. Parents and guardians play a key role).

Play and recreation stimulates the childs development and provides a solid base5.

or mental and social emotion growth or now and throughout lie.

Children with disabilities have a right to ECD services. Make ECD centres riendly6.

to children with disabilities.


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MMERA MPOYAMBA

COMMUNICATION BRIEF

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Objective: What is the campaign supposed to achieve?

The goal o the Mmera Mpoyamba campaign is to raise awareness on the importance

o the early childhood years in order to achieve changes in policy and behaviours in

community members and parents. The expected results will be:

To improve knowledge on ECD and its benets rom the current status to 80% asset in the ECD Strategy;

To communicate with households on what they can do at household level to

improve early childhood development; and

Target Audience: Who are we talking to and what do we know

about them that will help?

The Mmera Mpoyamba awareness Campaign will target parents, teachers, local

and traditional leaders, media, community members and decision makers. These

are groups that are aware o the problems aecting children and childrens reality

o development. Challenges in Early Child Development can be met with the

involvement o stakeholders.

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MMERA MPOYAMBA

COMMUNICATION BRIEF

Early Child Development Matrix

Key Messages/Message Areas Targets

Know the basics o ECD. eachers, pupils in schools, parents, local & traditional

leaders, policy makers, health sta, media.

Know the components o ECD a nd its cross-cutting

and holistic nature.

eachers, pupils in schools, parents, local & traditional

leaders, policy makers, health sta.

Understand the importance and benets o ECD. eachers, pupils in schools, parents, local & traditional

leaders, policy makers, health sta, media.

he rst years o a childs lie lasts orever. eachers, pupils in schools, parents, local & traditional

leaders, policy makers, health sta.

Access to ECD services is every childs right. No

Malawian child should be let behind.

Parents, policy makers, local & traditional leaders,

media.

Early stimulation supports a childs development

now and throughout lie.

Parents, policy makers, health sta, local & traditional

leaders.

Most developmental activities are ormed in the

rst 3 years o lie.

Parents, health sta.

Socio-economic development starts with early

child development.

Policy makers, local & traditional leaders, media.


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Early Child Development helps break the

intergenerational cycle o poverty.


Early Child Development leads to increased schooland workplace productivity.

Policy makers, teachers, local & traditional leaders,media.

For every child denied ECD services, Malawi loses

20% o its investments in that child.


For every dollar Malawi invests in quality ECD,

there is a return o $17.01 in cost savings. Children

that have gone through ECD have ewer class

repetitions, drop out o school less oten, are less

delinquent. These children will also incur the

country and amily ewer medical expenses - $12.90

saved by the national treasury and $4.17 saved by

the amily The Lancet Series).

Policy makers, teachers, health sta, parents, local &

traditional leaders, media.

Know where resource gaps exist in ECD and how

you can help bridge the gap.


traditional leaders.

Prevention is less expensive than treatment. Policy makers, teachers, health sta, parents, local &


he rst years o a child last orever.

Every child has a right to a good start to lie.



26

Send your child aged 3-5 years to an ECD centre.

he experience will enable your child to be ready

or school and perorm better.



Play and recreation stimulates the childsdevelopment and provides a solid base or

mental and social emotional growth or now and

throughout lie.

eachers, health sta, parents.

ECD helps break the intergenerational cycle o

poverty.



Most developmental activities take place within

the household and are ormed between 0 -2 years.

he stimulation that parents and guardians provide

in these early years o lie play a key role in brain

development and orm the oundation or later

learning.

Parents, Health sta.

Household socio-economic development starts

with early child development.

Parents, local & traditional leaders.

Children with disabilities have a right to ECD

services. Make ECD centres riendly to children with

disabilities.



MMERA MPOYAMBA

COMMUNICATION BRIEF

MMERA MPOYAMBA

COMMUNICATION BRIEF

...Early Child Development Matrix


...Early Child Development Matrix


25


16/17

What are our key channels or communication?A mix o communication channels, mainly in the realm o mass media have beencareully selected to reach all Malawians with the Mmera Mpoyamba campaign.

Standard messages will be shared with mainstream, community and aith based

radios or development o programmes that support the goals and objectives o thecampaign. The combination o the radios ascertains that all segments o population

are reached with the messages regardless o geographic location, social economicstatus and religious aliation.

Activities:The ollowing programmes will be run on radio stations:

15-30 minute Mmera Mpoyamba programmes;15 minute Mmera Mpoyamba radio plays produced and aired on mainstreamradios and reproduced or aith based and community radio stations;

Question bag/Interactive programme that intends to get eedback rom listenerson programmes

Matrix or Radio Stations and Justifcation

# Radio Station By

Type

R ad io St at io n B y N am e E st im at ed Re ach

I. Mainstream Malawi Broadcasting Corporation Over 70% of households in the country

Zodiak Broadcasting Corporation Over 75% of households in the country

I I. F ai th -Bas ed Sev en th D ay A dv en tist 60% of p op ul at ion in South and C en tr al r eg ion

Radio Islam Over 50% of the population in the country

Radio Maria Over 60% of the population in the country

Radio Alinafe Over 50% of the population in the country

Radi o Tigabane Covers all di stricts in the Northern Region

II I. C om mu ni ty R adi os Dz imw e C ombi ned re ach o ut to ove r 2 mi ll io n p eop le i n t he co unt ry i n

Mangochi, Balaka, Ntcheu, Dedza, Salima, Mchinji, Kasungu, Ntchisi,

Dowa, Nkhota kota, Nkhata Bay, Likoma, Mzuzu, Mzimba, Rumphi,PACSO

Mudzi Wathu

Nkhota kota

Mzimba

Malawi Institute of Journalism About 50% of the Southern and Central Regions

28

MANAGEMENT OF THE ADVOCACY

& COMMUNICATION STRATEGYThe Ministry o Gender, Child and Community Development will provide leadership

and oversight to the implementation o the advocacy and communication strategy.

Funding shall be provided by UNICEF and other partners and the national ECDNetwork will ensure that it suppor ts and acilitates implementation.

An ECD Advocacy and Communication Consultant may be hired and situated in the

Ministry o Gender, Child and Community Development to develop an annual plan o

action, oversee development o brand tools and manage the campaign on a day-to-day basis. The Consultant will be answerable to the Ministry but is expected to report

on progress to National ECD Network through:

Quarterly Monitoring ReportsMinutesDocumentariesResearch studies

MMERA MPOYAMBA

COMMUNICATION BRIEF

27


17/17

PHOTOGRAPHS: UNICEF

SEPTEMBER 2009

UNICEF COUNTRY OFFICE

P.O. Box 30375, Lilongwe 3, Malawi.Tel: +265 1 770 770Fax: +265 1 773 162

Email: [email protected]

MINISTRY OF GENDER,

CHILDREN AND COMMUNITY

DEVELOPMENT

Private Bag 433,

Lilongwe 3, Malawi.

The Government of Malawi

mlw resources mmerampoyamba

Documents