Improving Child Nutrition and Development through CBCCs in Malawi

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CHANCELLOR COLLEGE

Supporting partners: MoGSW, MinAg, DNHA, SHN

Rationale for study/project

• CBCCs are community-initiated and community-owned childcare centres- 0ver 11,000 reaching about 40% of 3-5 yr olds

• Aim to promote holistic child development by providing safe, stimulating environments, access to health and nutrition services, and capacity building for parents and caregivers

Chimwewe (Happiness) CBCC, Dedza district

In Malawi

• PECD Baseline identified shortage of meals in some CBCC at some times of the yearas a main cause of absenteeism and CBCC closure

• Hilton wraparound project identifies deeper issues linked to food insecurity, community organisation, capacity and resilience

• It also identifies CBCCs as an opportunity to improve nutritional behaviours in the household

• SC sponsorship adds livelihood to the ECD program addressing the deeper issues (agriculture, village savings and loans), and sees effects at many different levels: CBCC, Home, community effecting potentially children

NEEP Project

•DIFD funded PATH Administered

•GBP 180K for 18 months

• Implementing Partner: Save the Children International

• Evaluating Partners: Chancellor College &IFPRI

•Collaborating partners:MoGSW, MinAg, DNHA, SHN

Evaluation questions

• What is the impact of integrating livelihood, nutrition and ECD?

ON- ECD: CBCC meal provision, attendance and enrolment- Nutrition: feeding practices in the homes (inc to 0-2y)- Livelihood: Agricultural practices, food security, - Gender: Time use, child care, decision making

• Will also look at operational issues that come intoplay e.g. Cost and participation

ImpactOutcomes DistalProximalActivities (interventions)

CBCC quality improvement (3-5y)

Training on agricultural production methods + distribution of seeds (CBCC garden + homes)

Parenting education (now 0-5y)

Training/cooking demos to increase quality and quantity of CBCC meals BCC on maternal and child nutrition and health for caregivers of 0-2 and 2-5 year olds

Organising and linking producer groups (clubs) for improved production capacity and sales

Organising village savings and loans & training on financial management and business development

ECD

Agriculture

Nutrition

CBCC quality improved

Home learning environment improvedImproved parenting

practices

Improved CBCC meal service (quality, quantity, regularity …etc…)

Improved nutrition, health and care knowledge

Improved diets

Improved feeding & care practices

Improved health and hygiene practices

Improved health and nutrition

Improved CBCC practices

Improved learning & school

readiness

Changes in production and post-harvest practices (CBBC & home gardens)

Changes in market opportunities and risk

Improved production and sales

Changes in production systems

Intervention package in addition to ECD

Improved food security and

economic status

Improved CBCC enrolment, attendance, attention & motivation

Changes in women's time allocation and decision-making

IFPRI Gender team will focus on:- Time use:

• How does women’s and men’s time use and prioritization differ (especially regarding care, food production, food prep)? How does it vary by season?

- Child care practices: • Assess quality of the care provided to children (ages 2 – 5), including who

provides care, where they provide care, their knowledge and sources of information

• Investigate the role of secondary caregivers (fathers, older children, grandparents, etc.) in order to understand CBCC targeting of caregivers and constraints to quality care.

- Gender roles at CBCCs:• Understand gender roles at CBCCs and what major constraints and/or

pressures are for each (garden vs home production contributions, quantity/quality of meals, meal schedule, etc.)

- Nutrition-sensitive agricultural production:• Understand decision-making for different crops, different plots, and if there

are gendered differences in preferences for food production (e.g. cash vs food crops)

Research Design250 CBCCs supported by SC ECD program

60 CBCCs selected for study 48 CBCCs startedlivelihood in 2014

30 CBCCs 30 CBCCs Review andimprove approach(April-June 2015)

Baseline survey: Sept 2015

ECD + Livelihood ECD only

Endline survey: Sept 2016

End project: April 2017

Next stepsActivities Time Who

NEEP inception visit (IFPRI/SC) Now IFPRI/Chancellor/Save the Children

- Review design & test baseline tools

- Meet partners and clarify roles & responsibilities

- Review intervention and finalise TORs

Research protocol to ethics committee June Chancellor/IFPRI

Review & improve training package May-June Chancellor

Baseline survey September Chancellor/IFPRI

Trainings ECD/Livelihood September Save the Children

Thank you!!!

(Photos: Roschnik, 2015)