MECCDF has made the following achievements:

Conducted a desk research on the scope of existing ECD practices that lead to the establishment of 9  functional ECD centers

Increased number of children accessing ECD with 1,000 children accessing center based ECD and 5,000 children benefiting through home based care programmes

Acquired own piece of land from local authorities as a result of the impact of ECD programme in the community.

 

Established and maintains strong community ownership because of community involvement in all ECD programming

Established Community Support Groups and Management Committees;

 

Enhanced capacities of caregivers and parents to manage and run center and home based ECD activities following various trainings in ECD management, Child Counseling and Environment Health. (245 caregivers were trained in ECD management, 90 in Environmental Health and 120 in child counseling)

 

MECCDF has improved the quality of ECD services through infrastructure development.  A model ECD center has been constructed consisting of a 3 classroom blocks, 2 counseling rooms for children, a kitchen, a dining room and ablution block for the staff and children.

 

MECCDF has also improved the water and sanitation situation by constructing 36 Ventilated Pit Latrines (VIP) and 4 waterborne toilets for MECCDF centers and UNICEF funded ECD partners in Southern and Central Provinces of Zambia.  

 

Conducted a baseline survey on the rights of the child to participate in issues that affect them.

MECCDF serves as a Firelight lead partner for a two-year ECD project. The organization has been involved in developing training materials, facilitating trainings, organizing logistics for workshops that take place in Zambia and Malawi. MECCDF also monitors and mentors six ECD Firelight partners in Zambia and works collaboratively with Country Consultants and fellow lead partner, Namwera AIDS Coordinating Committee (NACC) in Mangochi, Malawi in offering technical support to the ECD partners.

 

In its advocacy work, MECCDF participates and closely monitors and make follow-ups on aspects of reviews and ECD policy discussions at various levels in order to influence government to respect the rights of the child and take ECD issues seriously. The ECD policy is yet to be approved by cabinet, hence the need to continue advocating for the framework to be finalized and rolled down to the public.

 

Increased awareness on the importance of ECD by the communities due to the sensitization programmes and production and distribution of IEC materials.

At national level, MECCDF is a member of Zambia National Education Coalition (ZANEC) a network of NGOs working on education issues. Through its membership, MECCDF jointly implements national activities such as those related to children.