FFTF

Foundations for the future: A strong start for every child from birth to school age

About the project

Project Period: Jan 2024 - Jan 2026 (24.02 Months)

The "Foundations for the future" project aims to ensure that children aged 0-8 in Uganda's Busoga region live in nurturing, child-friendly communities with access to high-quality, inclusive education. This collaborative effort between Nascent RDO-U and International Child Development Initiatives (ICDI) is supported by funding partners, including Dioraphte, and other generous organizations.

This initiative is an innovative adaptation of a successful community-based Early Childhood Development (ECD) model first piloted in Ethiopia. By transferring and tailoring this proven approach to the Ugandan context, we are focusing on providing a strong, holistic start for every child. Our goal is to establish lifetime foundations for optimal cognitive, social, and emotional development.

Project Focus

The project is rooted in the Nurturing Care Framework, emphasizing the critical importance of the first eight years for a child's development. Our strategies are designed to implement low-cost, high-impact interventions that address health, nutrition, social-emotional growth, and responsive parenting. By integrating these services, we aim to drastically improve developmental outcomes for the most vulnerable children.

A key component of the project is the establishment of family-friendly Play Hubs in the Iganga district of the Busoga region. These centers provide children with essential playing materials and stimulating educational activities. Furthermore, the project is designed to enhance community ownership by establishing 'ECD Committees' that ensure local involvement in child health and well-being.

The Play Hubs and associated home-visiting programs actively support caregivers by offering workshops focused on strengthening parental skills. A particular emphasis is placed on promoting responsive parenting, playful learning, and social-emotional development, with targeted activities that intentionally involve fathers and older family members like grandparents. These sessions also foster social and economic connections among parents.

This project adopts an integrated, multi-sectoral approach by increasing access to crucial services like prenatal, postnatal, and SRHR (Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights) support. The scope also includes engaging vulnerable young mothers (aged 10-24) and teenagers at risk of dropping out of school, ensuring a comprehensive net of support that benefits the entire family unit.