Strengthen 100 Vulnerable Households in Calabar

PROJECT REPORT

BY EDIDIONG DAVID- PROGRAM MANAGER

STRENGTHEN 100 VULNERABLE HOUSEHOLDS IN CALABAR

In line with the national standard of service for vulnerable children in Nigeria, and the planned activities shared in our last quarter report, Charles Edet Effiong Foundation provided services in the seven domains of service provision in the last quarter which includes, nutrition, health, education, shelter and care, psychosocial support, household economic strengthening and legal protection.

In this first quarter of the year 2021, the foundation has provided several services to ensure that caregivers are supported to meet the basic needs of their children through the following service areas.

1. Nutrition and health services to children and their caregivers: 4 children (3 females and 1 male) who were found to be severely malnourished (having a Mid-Upper Arm Circumference- MUAC  of < 11cm ) were escorted to health facilities and thereby treated for other minor ailments like malaria and typhoid fever. They were also  provided with micronutrients and enrichment mix. Tom-Brown was prepared by the Foundation's Household Economic Strengthening/Nutrition Officer and handed to the children's caregiver, informing them also on how it can be prepared as well as the proportions of the ingredients. Caregivers were also trained on homestead farming/gardening to improve household food security and dietary supplies. The Foundation also provided Food Packs to help cushion the effect of COVID-19 on the source of household incomes/livelihood which has greatly affected food security and in turn malnutritionin households. Frequent home visits were paid to the households to monitor adherence to dietary proportions and progress. The health of the children has greatly improved. Their MUAC  have increased to >13 cm, which indicates recovery.

2.  Education: The desire of the Foundation to ensure every child learns and is given the atmosphere to develop and attain their full developmental milestones as other children of their ages, necessitated the visit to beneficiaries in school to ensure that they are attending school regularly. Academic performance assessment were also conducted to evauate children. Those who were seen not to perform well, the Foundation team engaged with their class teachersand caregivers on to identify and plan on ways of supporting children improve. Children were also supported through the payment of school fees and provision of school materials during the period under review. 

3. Psychosocial Support: During the preceding reporting period, counseling support was provided to caregivers and children during home visits. Parenting gaps observed and identified from teachers during school visits were also discussed with caregivers during these visits. The Foundation also facilitated Caregivers’ Forum, and Kids/ Adolescent Clubs in clusters for easy access and management to provide ART adherence support, nutrition education and counselling support, better parenting information, and importance of education.

4. Household Economic Strengthening: This service area is the key intervention area in Charles Edet Effiong Foundation programing. Services were provided to beneficiaries in the areas of financial education and money management. Caregivers were also supported to develop seasonal calendars which will help them plan their income, expenditures as well as investments in seasons.Caregivers were also taken through sessions to identify new income streams which will increase income and in turn, improve living condition and increase saving possibilities. 

5.   Monitoring and Evaluation: Services provided to beneficiaries were updated on each beneficiary’s folders. Data quality assessment was conducted on the database to ensure that the needed data was captured and correctly entered. Summary of the monthly services provided was printed and submitted to the Local Government Council Monitoring and Evaluation Unit as well as the Women Development Officer respectively for accountability purposes. Acknowledgement copies were filed and documented at the PCEF office.

Our next steps: In the upcoming quarter, the project plans to;

a. conduct market assessment of beneficiaries' reisidence to map, network and collaborate with other organizations to provide skill acquisition to beneficiaries on the project, especially older children

b. provide start-up capital to caregivers for micro-business start-ups.

We are grateful to our esteemed sponsors who have played a key role in bettering the lives of vulnerable households in Calabar. Your kind support means a lot to us. We know the world is currently going through numerous crisis but in all, we can make a difference in lives of many by supporting us to continue in this project. It is okay if you cannot support us at present, however, you can also say a word of goodwill to your family, friends, colleagues, and acquaintances about our project and how they can support.

Thank you

Edidiong David

Programme Manager