VUSUMNOTFO - Parenting for a Sustainable Future

I was a mother who would easily get irritated yet I would never hit my children. I used to have a temper and would talk very harshly to my children and even call them names. I would shout at my children and sometimes my husband would join in and also shout at them.

As a result one of my boys was scared of me. If he needed something for school he would be afraid to ask. Sometimes they would send him home because he did not have a pencil when I always have pencils at home. He was just afraid that I would shout.

Coming to Vusumnotfo for classes helped me because it placated my temper and I now have a good relationship with my child. He is now more comfortable sitting next to his father and me, talk about his needs and things he has seen while playing with his friends or around the community.

He has not been doing well at school as he would repeat classes, but now he talks about school and what he wants to become when he is older. He says he wants to pass so that he gets out of Primary level before he becomes the only one who is as tall as he is. He even reminds me to take my medication.

For all that I thank Vusumnotfo for giving me the opportunity to come here and learn about parenting.

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This story was collected from a community member in northern Hhohho, Eswatini who participated in Vusumnotfo’s Activity 1.1. Growing Children Straight and Strong.

The objective of this training is for participants to understand the basic concepts of how young children develop and learn, so that they can apply these concepts within the reality of their situations (instead of prescribing any specific style of parenting).

Training covers the following topics in a five-day workshop format:

Chapter 1 - Basic Concepts of Early Childhood Care & Development

Chapter 2 - Growth Promotion and Development

Chapter 3 - Hygiene and Safety

Chapter 4 - Home Management of Illness

Chapter 5 - Emotional Development of a Child

Chapter 6 - Language Development and Communication

Chapter 7 - How a Child Learns

Chapter 8 - Social and Value Development of a Child

Chapter 9 - Practices that Protect a Child from Abuse and HIV

Chapter 10 - When Death Touches a Young Child’s Life

Chapter 11 - Developmental Milestones (Age 0 to 8)

Chapter 12 - Practical Advice for Parenting

Chapter 13 - Supporting the Development of Children in your Community

As Vusumnotfo defines “parenting” as an action, instead of a biological relationship or person, participants are drawn from the community at large, representing a mixed audience of young and old, male and female, parents and extended family members.

This story gives a window into current understanding and practices towards young children in rural Eswatini.  More importantly, this story indicates a clear shift in attitude towards, understanding of, and interaction with, young children. 

This positive shift is in line with a wide body of research indicating that the single most important determinant of early childhood development and education is the quality of interaction between a child and its caregivers, with a focus on the needs of the child.

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This story was collected using Most Significant Change methodology. MSC is a participatory methodology that aims to collect and analyze information on change that may have occurred because of the implementation of an activity. It focuses on the changes that participants believe has been most important – that is, what the most significant change has been, from the participant’s point of view. 

After telling their story in siSwati, Vusumnotfo transcribes the recordings.  In the second session, their written siSwati storiesare read back to each participant so as to confirm if it reflected that they wanted to say.

In the third session, the final edited, polished story was read back for confirmation. The signature and photo of each participant confirms that the story correctly reflects what they said and that they are OK with sharing their stories.

Several years ago we first had the opportunity to introduce Shonaquip posture support and mobility devices to Eswatini.

Manufactured in South Africa for rural African realities, the critical component is the process of assessment, fitting and review so as to ensure that a child is and remains positioned properly.

Each child needs to be assesed by a qualifed physical or occupational therapist who is trained in seating. This assessment is used to prescribe the correct type and size device.  

The fitting process customizes the cushioning to the specifics of each child.  This is particularly important for children with cerebral palsy. 

Once a child is properly positioned they function better at all levels.  Plus people engage with them in a more constructive manner that sets up a positive cycle of interaction that benefits both the child and the care giver. 

Shonaquip devices are manufactored for 3 years of growth, so adjustments should be made every 6 months. 

Once a child has outgrown the adjustments, we collect the device to be matched and refitted to another child. 

This is where your GlobalGiving support is critical as while project based funding may cover the costs of assessment, devices and fitting, it does not cover follow up costs past a short time period. 

Thank you for the support that helps us make this happen. 

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1. Early Childhood Programme - tackling insufficient understanding of how young children develop and learn, and factors that influence this.

1.1.  Parenting - Provide structured support to a set number of children with special needs at family level - to link familles to medical and technical services; to train and mentor families in the care and stimulation of children with special needs; to support relevant home improvements; to expand capacity of family caregivers; to support social inclusion at community level; to share positive results at national level.

Our “mini model” strategy is aimed at creating positive examples in the rural area that motivate national entities to develop integrated systems for early identification and intervention for children with special needs.

Links:

• Shonaquip - our technical partner

Chief Umntfwanenkhosi Mnikwa of Hhelehhele selected the name VUSUMNOTFO.

The literal translation of Vusumnotfo is “to revive the economy” - however in siSwati “umnotfo’” refers to anything that brings value to the greater good i.e. children, relationships, natural resources, health, surplus…. so “economy” is understood to be broader and deeper than just financial.

Thus within the Swazi context “Vusumnotfo” is understood as ‘”reviving all that is needed for the betterment of the future”.

This reflects our aim - To build human capacity in 17 Swazi communities, by strengthening skills at family and community level, in practices that advance child development and learning, as the roots for a sustainable future. 

Chief Mnika was a wise man who lead an interesting life, including being sent to fight in World War 2. He died just after turning 100 years old. 

I am thankful for the parenting knowledge I have acquired through Vusumnotfo, especially because not only am I a parent at home, I’m also a Lihlombe Lekukhalela member and a Health Motivator in my community, which puts me in situations where I have to deal with a lot of child related matters. One lesson I took out of the class was about the term “empathy”, where we talked about going beyond just feeling sorry for someone, but further put yourself in their position, understand their situation before finding ways to help them.

There are two young girls living by themselves somewhere in my community, their mother works far from home and only visits them once a month. One morning I met one of the children on her way to school. She wore a sheepish look on her face and her socks were dirty – which is uncommon for school children to be dirty in the morning, especially on a Monday. Knowing her background and all, I thought I should find out how she was doing.

When I greeted her she replied me with tears, so I decided to let her go to school. When school was out, I went to her homestead to find out why she cried when I talked to her that morning. She said she cried because she was dirty and I could see. She also said that she had no washing soap, her mother had not returned home for a while and their food was no more.

I then asked her to come with me to my homestead and gave her some soap and foodstuff for her and her sister to cook. I also asked her to come to me if they seek help on anything, and that I was going to help them where I could. From that day on, they have been coming to me for assistance and I have been helping them. Their mother came to me one morning to thank me for the help I have been providing her children in her absence and that made me feel accommodating.

I’m really grateful for the knowledge on parenting, as I am more helpful to my community now. Previously I would visit people’s homesteads just to inspect their homesteads in terms of cleanliness and whether or not they have planted something in their gardens. I would do all my work from a distance, without bringing any attention to assess the real situation of a resource poor homestead.

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Ngibonga kakhulu kuVusumnotfo ngemfundvo lengiyitfolile, ikakhulu ngobe mine ngisebenta kakhulu ngebantfwana, ngilihlombe lekukhalela ngiphindze ngibe ngumgcugcuteli kubetemphilo. Ngafike ngafundza ngeligama lelitsi “empathy”, lapho sakhuluma ngekutsi umuntfu umvela wendlule ungene kulesimo lakuso. Uvisise lenkinga labhekene nayo, bese utfola indlela yekumsita.

Kunebantfwana lababili bemantfombatane labahlala bodvwa kulelinye likhaya, make wabo usebenta khashane ngako ke ubuya kanye ngenyanga kutobahlola. Ngalelinye lilanga ngahlangana namunye walabantfwana ekuseni aya esikolweni, simo sakhe sasekhaya njengobe bengisati ngatsi nje asengimvusele ngive kutsi unjani ngobe nangimbuka abengekho esimeni lesihle, emasokisi akhe abengcolile kantsi ngumsombuluko.

Nangimvusela akavumanga wasusa nje wakhala. Ngatsi angimyekele ahambe aye esikolweni ngitawubekisa sikhatsi sekubuya esikolweni bese ngiyaya ngiyomkhulumisa. Nembala nasesiphumile sikolwa ngaya lekhaya kubo ngamkhandza. Ngase ngiyambuta kutsi bekakhalelani ekuseni nangimvusela. Watsi bekakhaliswa kutsi bengimbona kutsi ungcolile, insipho kute namake wabo kadze ahamba akasabuyi sekute nalabangakudla.

Ngase ngihamba naye ngiya ekhaya kami ngimupha insipho nekudla labatakupheka. Ngaphindze ngatsi kuye ngicela babokhululeka kuta kimi nabanenkinga ngitawubasita. Kusukela lapho ke bebeta labantfwana nami ngibasita ngifika langikhona khona. Kwatsi ngalelinye lilanga ekuseni kwafika make wabo atobonga kutsi ngibasitile bantfwabakhe yena asabambekile emsebentini.

Ngibonga imfundvo yakaVusumnotfo ngobe lomsebenti lebengiwenta emmangweni bekukungena emakhaya nje ngibuke kutsi bahlanyele yini etingadzeni nome kuhlobile yini emabaleni ngilapha khashane, ngingetami kucondzisisa simo sebantfu bakulelokhaya.

Narrated in siSwati by Busisiwe (Ndzingeni)

Transcribed and translated by Vusumnotfo staff 

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Vusumnotfo activity 1.1. Parenting - Train - to increase knowledge of early childhood developmental milestones and learning standards; and to understand factors that influence these.