Leave No Child Behind Country Case Study Mozambique

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Leave No Child Behind Country Case Study Mozambique MOZAMBIQUE LEAVE NO CHILD BEHIND Invest in the early years ECDANEarly Childhood Development Action Network Contents Introduction 3 Mozambique’s national early childhood development policy context 5 Donor support for early childhood development 8 Conclusion and recommendations 13 References 16 COVID-19 threatens the basic rights of children in Mozambique In line with many other governments affected School closures have meant that 101,000 children by the COVID-19 pandemic, the government in have not been able to attend pre-primary school. Mozambique has implemented measures to slow The longer the absence from school, the less likely the transmission of the virus. These measures, it is that children, particularly girls and children which have impeded economic activities and with disabilities, will resume schooling. Missing reduced access to basic social services, are likely to out on fundamental early childhood education can push millions more families into poverty. have a detrimental affect on future educational and earning prospects. While well-resourced countries The rights and welfare of millions more children have resorted to distance learning to bridge this are unmet due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Food educational gap, this is largely not possible in insecurity – caused by reduced income and Mozambique, where 74% of children have no disrupted food chains – is likely to worsen the access to electricity and only 2% have access to the already extremely high levels of malnutrition internet. among children up to the age of four (45% in urban areas). The diversion of health resources to fight While the majority of children in Mozambique face the virus will directly affect children’s access to dire circumstances as a result of the COVID-19 vaccinations and medication or care for chronic pandemic, some are particularly vulnerable to its illnesses and common infectious diseases, such as devastating effects. Prior to the pandemic, 10% of malaria. Disruption to water supply operations will children under the age of 12 in Mozambique were hamper efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19 orphans, putting them at increased risk of violence, as well as other diseases, such as cholera. Children abuse and exploitation. Children with disabilities, with disabilities are particularly vulnerable to children on the move, children in institutions and COVID-19 direct transmission as a result of their children living in areas affected by conflict (such as pre-existing health conditions and disadvantages in Cabo Delgado) require urgent attention and aid in accessing basic services. the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. 2 MOZAMBIQUE | LEAVE NO CHILD BEHIND Introduction Globally, 43% of children under the age of five, 250 million individuals, are at high risk of not achieving their full potential due to developmental delays.1 In Mozambique, this percentage is much higher. There, 61% of young children are at risk of poor development. Poverty, which affects 82% of children,2 is a key cause. Reversing this requires urgent and continuous multi-stakeholder action. Multiple factors influence a child’s development, including access to health, nutrition, responsive caregiving, early learning opportunities, and access to clean water and safe basic sanitation, the latter To help children thrive, now and later in life, requires mitigating and even preventing many avoidable and investing in their access to healthcare, proper nutrition, fatal illnesses.3 adequate early learning and stimulation interventions, responsive caregiving, and emotional and physical Malnutrition, in particular, is a major problem in security from the moment they are born.8 Putting Mozambique, with 44% of children being chronically funds and resources towards high-quality, equitable undernourished. Besides the fact that 25% of young and inclusive ECD services can also help mitigate the children have stunted growthA, poor access to sufficient multitude of risks children are facing at the same time nutritious food claims thousands of young lives every as making it easier for them to access their rights. This year.4 It is estimated that one in three deaths in children will pave the way for more equal societies.8 under five is caused directly by undernutrition.4 Poor access to clean water and basic sanitation amplifies This matters most for children from disadvantaged and this: less than half of all Mozambicans (47%) have rural households. Children with disabilities, in particular, access to clean drinking water, and only one in four face multiple barriers and layers of discrimination, and (27%) have access to basic sanitation.2 they are often excluded from ECD services.8 Supporting them in their early years helps identify their ECD needs Finally, many Mozambican children, especially those and how we should respond to these so they can fully from poor and rural households, are not adequately participate in and belong to their communities.8 prepared for primary school, and struggle to meet required learning outcomes. Children in rural areas, in This is backed up by evidence that suggests that particular, are at risk of serious developmental delays investing in children’s early years is one of the in cognitive and language skills, as documented by a smartest investments a country and donors can make World Bank study of a rural community-based early to break the cycle of poverty, address inequality childhood development (ECD) programme in Gaza and boost children’s overall productivity later in province.5 life.B Yet in Mozambique, the provision of and access to quality ECD services rooted in the Nurturing Care Responding to these risks and deprivations as early Framework is low, due to low government funding. This as possible requires a “nurturing” approach to means development partners have a key role to play in developing ECD services. Evidence,6 as increasingly supporting the authorities in this priority. The problem acknowledged in global policy debates,7 shows is that the overall level of overseas development that the multi-dimensional nature of ECD requires a assistance (ODA) spent on improving ECD services in comprehensive, cross-sectoral and multi-stakeholder Mozambique remains low. approach rooted in the principle of nurturing care.8 A. See: https://blogs.worldbank.org/health/health/zh-hans/ B. The research underlying this finding may be found here: node/614 https://heckmanequation.org/resource/the-heckman-curve/ 3 This study analyses Mozambique’s ECD services Box 1. The difference appropriate context, what donors are doing to support the ECD interventions can make: a government in terms of ODAC and what more they case study of twin boys from could do. Our starting point is that donors have a Mozambique specific supportive role to play in scaling up equitable and inclusive ECD services in their recipient countries Twin brothers Jonson and Ronson from (see Box 5). Dondo, Sofala Province, were born in 2008 by caesarean section due to late-stage pregnancy Five interrelated and indivisible complications. After being discharged, the components of nurturing care boys’ father was concerned because Jonson did not cry or move his arms and legs like his twin brother. After seeking medical attention, the paediatrician explained the baby had cerebral palsy, a condition which had resulted from a lack of oxygen to the brain during childbirth. The doctor recommended physiotherapy. However, it took Jonson’s parents three years to get physiotherapy for their son because they could not afford to pay the transport costs associated with the regular visits to Beira Central Hospital, 30 km away from Dondo. As the sole breadwinner, Jonson’s father took on odd jobs to support his family of 10. In 2017, Jonson was identified as a beneficiary of the services offered by a Light for the World community-based rehabilitation programme in Dondo. He was given a wheelchair, and the entire family received practical advice on how to help him develop his communication and coordination skills through play, participatory community activities, such as church choir, and other day-to- day activities. In 2018, when he turned 10, Jonson enrolled in the local village school. His father hopes his son will be able to study when he is older and have a professional career. While Jonson has a very loving and supportive family, poverty and a lack of appropriate advice and support early in life have denied him the rights his twin brother has enjoyed, making it harder for him to catch up and achieve his full potential. C. For a definition of ODA, see: https://www.oecd.org/dac/ financing-sustainable-development/development-finance- standards/official-development-assistance.htm 4 MOZAMBIQUE | LEAVE NO CHILD BEHIND Mozambique’s national early childhood development policy context The government of Mozambique is increasingly points include safe motherhood, the provision of recognising the need to develop an adequate ECD parenting classes for caregivers, access to training and policy frameworkD, which thus far has largely been professional career guidance for educators and other contained to pre-primary subsector interventions, with pre-school professionals and, finally, promoting a minimal overlap with other areas such as healthcare. higher level of intersectoral ECD coordination.9 Presidential Decree No. 7 of 2010 and the 2010-2014 Being implemented in stages, the strategy’s pilot has Five-Year Plan have highlighted the need for a holistic focused on the expansion of pre-primary services pre-primary education strategy at country level,
Recommended publications
  • Participant List
    UNOSD International Mayors Forum Preparatory Webinar Series, Webinar #6 (IV Edition of United Cities for All): “Leaving No One Behind – Persons with Disabilities and Addressing Inequalities in our Cities and Communities” 29 October 2020, 10:00-11:30PM (KST) No. User Type FirstName LastName Email Company Country/Region Division for Inclusive Social Development, 1 Panelist Daniela Basnet Bista [email protected] UN DESA 2 Panelist Deisi Kusztra [email protected] World Family Organization United States of America National Strategies and Capacity Building 3 Panelist Amson Sibanda [email protected] Branch, Division for Sustainable Development Goals, UN DESA m.padmanabhan@light-for-the- 4 Panelist Murali Padmanabhan Light for the World United States of America world.org 5 Panelist Jean D'Aragon [email protected] UNOSD 6 Panelist UNOSD DSDG [email protected] UNOSD 7 Attendee Yoon Loong Wong [email protected] National Council for the Blind Malaysia United States of America 8 Attendee Awo Mana Asiedu [email protected] University of Ghana Ghana 9 Attendee Divya.c Divya.c [email protected] United States of America Disability Inclusive Development Programs 10 Attendee Jeannette Kah Le Guil [email protected] United States of America And Services 11 Attendee michael whiteaker [email protected] Virginia Department of Health United States of America 12 Attendee AUGUSTINA NAAMI [email protected] University of Ghana Ghana 13 Attendee Tim Harte [email protected] Australia 14 Attendee Andrés Montoya [email protected]
    [Show full text]
  • Issue Brief on the Right to Disability-Inclusive Health
    Equal Access without Discrimination The Right to Disability-Inclusive Health Issue Brief – May 2021 Summary ▶ The right to the highest attainable standard of health is fundamental, as health is a precondition for equal participation in society. ▶ Despite clear legal obligations, persons with disabilities continue to experience discrimination in their access to health. ▶ As a result of these barriers and rights violations, persons with disabilities report lower standards of health and experience higher mortality rates. ▶ Governments, international organisations and development actors urgently need to mainstream disability into their health strategies, services and interventions. A) Right to Health in a Nutshell “The highest attainable standard of health [is] a fundamental right of every human being.” This is the heart of the constitution of the World Health Organisation (WHO). States must realise this universal human right without delay. In practice, it entails the freedom from non-consensual or degrading treatment as well as the entitlement to health care that is accessible, available in sufficient quality and culturally acceptable. This includes the full spectrum of essential health services, from health promotion to prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, and palliative care.1 The right to health is essential for the attainment of other human rights. For instance, physical and mental health enable children to learn or adults to work. As a result, equal participation in society is preconditioned on the highest attainable standard of health.2 1 WHO & OHCHR (2008): The Right to Health. pp. 1-4. www.who.int/gender-equity-rights/knowledge/right-to-health-factsheet31.pdf. 2 Shakespeare, T., Bright, T. & Kuper, H. (2018): Access to Health for Persons with Disabilities, pp.
    [Show full text]
  • Higher Education in Portuguese Speaking African Countries a FIVE COUNTRY BASELINE STUDY
    Higher Education in Portuguese Speaking African Countries A FIVE COUNTRY BASELINE STUDY Patrício Vitorino Langa CapE Verde Guinea Bissau Sao Tome & Principe Angola Mozambique Higher Education in Portuguese Speaking African Countries A FIVE COUNTRY BASELINE STUDY Patrício Vitorino Langa Published in 2013 by African Minds 4 Eccleston Place, Somerset West, 7130, South Africa [email protected] www.africanminds.org.za ISBN: 978-1-920677-03-9 2013 Patrício Langa For orders from within South Africa: Blue Weaver PO Box 30370, Tokai 7966, Cape Town, South Africa Email: [email protected] For orders from outside South Africa: African Books Collective PO Box 721, Oxford OX1 9EN, UK [email protected] www.africanbookscollective.com Design and lay-out by COMPRESS.dsl | www.compressdsl.com Published in collaboration with the Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA). The author of the study is responsible for the choice and presentation of the data and facts contained in this document and for the opinions expressed therein, and which are not necessarily those of ADEA nor the various individuals who were interviewed or provided data. Contents Tables vi Figures vii Acknowledgements viii Acronyms and abbreviations ix Preface xi Executive summary and structure xiii Chapter one: Introduction and background 1 1.1 Introduction 1 1.2 Objectives of the study 2 1.3 Methodology of the study 2 Chapter two: Angola 5 2.1 Country profile 5 2.2 Background and historical context of higher education 6 2.3 Trends of expansion,
    [Show full text]
  • Policy Safeguarding
    Policy Safeguarding Content: I. The Policy II. Code of Conduct III. Complaints Mechanism Annex 1: Glossary of Terms Annex 2: Programmatic Approach to Child Protection Annex 3: List of Designated Staff Members and External Services Annex 4: Complaints Mechanism Flow Chart Annex 5: Serious Incident Reporting Annex 6: Safeguarding Incident Reporting Form Annex 7: Terms of Reference – Focal Point for Safeguarding/Board Status: Approved by International Management Team, Date: 03.07.2019 1/29 | P a g e Safeguarding Policy 2019-07 I. The Policy 1. Policy Purpose The purpose of this policy is to protect people, particularly children, adults at risk and beneficiaries of assistance, from any harm that may be caused due to them coming into contact with Light for the World. This includes harm arising from: • The conduct of staff and Light for the World representatives • The design and implementation of Light for the World’s programmes and activities This policy lays out the commitments made by Light for the World and informs staff and representatives of their responsibilities in relation to safeguarding. Policy Statement Light for the World believes that everyone we come into contact with, regardless of age, gender identity, disability, belief, sexual orientation, ethnic origin, or other status has the right to be protected from all forms of harm, abuse, neglect and exploitation. Light for the World applies a zero-tolerance policy. This policy will address the following areas of safeguarding: • child protection, • adult safeguarding, • protection from sexual exploitation, abuse and bullying. Light for the World commits to embedding safeguarding in all of its work, through the three pillars of prevention, reporting (by a complaints mechanism) and response.
    [Show full text]
  • Changing Systems, Changing Lives
    Changing Systems Changing Lives © Ulrich Eigner Inclusive Education and Disability Inclusion in Community Development Why systemic change? Education can be the most powerful equalising “[Inclusive education] requires an in-depth force in any society. More and better investment is transformation of education systems in needed to ensure the systemic change required, to legislation, policy, and the mechanisms for make this true for girls and boys with disabilities. financing, administration, design, delivery and monitoring of education.” X If the children who face the biggest challenges UNCRPD General Comment No. 4, 2016 succeed, everyone does. Real change towards an inclusive society requires The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development working at local, national, regional and international renews our commitment to transforming our world level. It involves strengthening the capacities of our to one that honours the rights of all, particularly local partners, in particular government authorities, the poorest and most vulnerable - persons with to drive change and development. It involves disabilities. Inclusive education is the segue to empowering civil society to push for change and achieving all other rights and central to building amplifying the voices of people with disabilities to an inclusive and prosperous society. Ensuring the call for better accountability. It requires adequate right to inclusive education for girls and boys with and appropriate investment from bilateral -and disabilities requires a transformation in culture, multilateral
    [Show full text]
  • Teachers Talking
    Teachers Talking Primary teachers’ contributions to the VSO Netherlands www.vso.nl quality of education in Mozambique VSO UK www.vso.org.uk CUSO-VSO www.cuso-vso.org VSO VSO is different from most organisations that fight poverty. Instead of sending money or food, we bring people together to share skills and knowledge. In doing so, we create lasting change. Our volunteers work in whatever fields are necessary to fight the forces that keep people in poverty – from education and health through to helping people learn the skills to make a living. We have education programmes in 15 countries, as well as education volunteers in other countries who work in teacher training colleges and with schools on teaching methods and overcoming barriers facing marginalised groups. We also undertake advocacy research through our Valuing Teachers campaign and we are a member of the Global Campaign for Education (GCE) and of the International Task Force on Teachers for Education for All hosted by UNESCO. For more details see back cover or visit www.vsointernational.org NUT The National Union of Teachers (NUT) is the UK’s largest union for qualified teachers in primary and secondary education. The NUT supports a number of campaigns which address international development issues, including VSO’s Valuing Teachers campaign and the Global Campaign for Education. The NUT collaborates with unions and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in the Global South on development projects, which aim to provide high-quality education for all children, safeguard the wellbeing and professionalism of teachers, and build the capacity of teacher unions.
    [Show full text]
  • NOTHING ABOUT US WITHOUT US! Cooperation with Organisations of Persons with Disabilities in Community Programmes
    Learning from cooperation with DPOs Dis NOTHING ABOUT US WITHOUT US! Cooperation with organisations of persons with disabilities in community programmes A learning guide 1 Women with disabilities in Bolivia founded their own DPO to fight for their rights. 2 Learning from cooperation with DPOs “As a DPO, we know the needs of the people with Executive summary disabilities. It’s personal for us.” Providing insights into some of the roles of Mr. Armando Conduane organisations of persons with disabilities and President of the DPO ADEMO the merits of their involvement, this paper Beira, Mozambique shall help us and others in our learning. It shall also help to increase our own transparency and accountability towards the people and communities we serve. The paper presents and analyses good practices of DPO involvement in Light for the World programmes and shows successful ways of supporting DPO empowerment. It is based on interviews and focus group discussions with organisations of persons with disabilities (DPOs for short), other project partners and Light for the World programme colleagues in Bolivia, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Northeast India and South Sudan. 3 LIGHT FOR THE WORLD DPOs – a rising force Definition of DPOs DPOs are representative organisations of persons with disabilities, which are “rooted, committed to and fully respect the principles and rights recognised in the Convention. They can only be those that are led, directed and governed by persons with disabilities. A clear majority of their membership should be recruited among persons with disabilities themselves. Organisations of women with disabilities, children with disabilities and persons living with HIV/AIDS are organisations of persons with disabilities under the Convention.” (CRPD General Comment No 7, para.11 1) DPOs might represent one particular group of persons with disabilities or various types of disabilities.
    [Show full text]
  • LFTW Country Profile France
    DONOR PROFILE FRANCE LEAVE NO CHILD BEHIND Invest in the early years France is the fifth-largest donor country in the world, and the French President, Emmanuel Macron, has committed to increasing overseas development assistance levels.1 France has five strategic priority areas: international stability, climate change, education, gender equality, and global health. A review across 10 donors showed that in 2017 France was the: 9th 8th 7th largest contributor to early largest contributor in largest contributor in terms childhood development terms of the proportion of of the quantity of education (ECD), relative to the overall education aid disbursed to aid disbursed to early overseas development early childhood education/ childhood education/pre- assistance (ODA) portfolio pre-primary (i.e. 0.04% of primary.B (i.e. 0.5% of ODA is spent on education aid spent on pre- ECD).A primary).B Strategic commitment to early childhood Disability-inclusive early education development investment commitments ited/emergin ited/emergin Lim g Lim g mitment mitment r com s r com s to C to C c c ro c c ro e ts o s e ts o s s n m s s n m s - - - - s e m s s e m s s m i e s m i e t t t t o i m c o i m c r t r t c o c o m e m e n r n r o m o m t t N o s N o s c c A The table looking at the comparative levels of spending on ECD for the donors in this report can be found in the corresponding global report.
    [Show full text]
  • Education Language Policy in Mozambique: a Critical View
    International Journal of Humanities Social Sciences and Education (IJHSSE) Volume 4, Issue 5, May 2017, PP 12-21 ISSN 2349-0373 (Print) & ISSN 2349-0381 (Online) http://dx.doi.org/10.20431/2349-0381.0405002 www.arcjournals.org Education Language Policy in Mozambique: A Critical View Mira de Jesus Varela Canhanga, BEd Pedagogic University, Gaza, Mozambique Dr. Martin Banda, PhD Department of Educational Psychology and Sociology Kwame Nkrumah University, P.O. Box 80404, Kabwe-Zambia Abstract: The article evaluates the current language policy adopted by the Mozambican government as stated in the Constitution of the Republic of Mozambique and in the article 4 of decree 6/92 on the National Education System. We are of the opinion that coming up with the most suitable language policy is a key element in national building and particularly in the individual citizens’ welfare. Thus, we argue that the analysis of the current language policy is of paramount importance. The study shades light to the government officials, the Ministry of Education officials, teachers, students and all education stakeholders at large in the implication of the current Education language policy for Mozambique. Keywords: The concept language policy; language policy; Bilingual Education; Model and Programmes; the Relevance of a Bilingual Education; the Model of Bilingual Education; An Ideal Education Language Policy. 1. BACKGROUND Due to the nomadic life, and later on with the advancement in the field of navigation as well as trade, people‟s geographical and social mobility increased as compared to the motion in the early civilizations. These led to not only a wider interaction between different languages but also to the emergence of new ones.
    [Show full text]
  • Impact Report 2018/2019 Dear Friends
    Impact Report 2018/2019 Dear friends, In the year 2018 we celebrated • More than 16 million doses of our 30th anniversary. medication against Neglected Tropical Diseases were distributed. Over these three decades we • 34,696 children and adults with Karin Krobath Rupert Roniger have reached 13.7 million peo- disabilities received access to Chairperson Light CEO Light for the ple in the poorest regions of health and rehabilitation services for the World World in our programmes. 12,953 children the world, providing access to went to school to develop their The coming years will be challenging, eye health, education, reha- full potential and shape their own especially for our programme work bilitation, and human rights to future. in Mozambique, which was severely • Light for the World launched devastated by cyclone storms in early persons with disabilities. the Her Abilities Award, the first 2019. But changing the world is worth inter national award to honour every effort. We will continue to work • In 2018 our partners performed the achievements of women with on all levels—from local to global—to 89,280 eye surgeries, saving eye disabilities in December 2018. The create a world where everybody can sight and changing countless winners were selected out of 158 take part and no-one is left behind. lives. Among them were 44,206 nominees from 52 countries. Three Thanks to the dedication of our cataract surgeries and 21,824 eyelid categories were awarded: Health & donors and the professionality of our surgeries in the late stages of Education, Rights, Arts and Culture partners, we are closer to this goal trachoma.
    [Show full text]
  • ICT in Education in Mozambique
    SURVEY OF ICT AND EDUCATION IN AFRICA: Mozambique Country Report ICT in Education in Mozambique by Shafika Isaacs April 2007 Source: World Fact Book1 Please note: This short Country Report, a result of a larger infoDev-supported Survey of ICT in Education in Africa, provides a general overview of current activities and issues related to ICT use in education in the country. The data presented here should be regarded as illustrative rather than exhaustive. ICT use in education is at a particularly dynamic stage in Africa; new developments and announcements happening on a daily basis somewhere on the continent. Therefore, these reports should be seen as “snapshots” that were current at the time they were taken; it is expected that certain facts and figures presented may become dated very quickly. The findings, interpretations and conclusions expressed herein are entirely those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of infoDev, the Donors of infoDev, the World Bank and its affiliated organizations, the Board of Executive Directors of the World Bank or the governments they represent. The World Bank cannot guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this work. The boundaries, colors, denominations, and other information shown on any map in this work do not imply on the part of the World Bank any judgment of the legal status of any territory or the endorsement or acceptance of such boundaries. It is expected that individual Country Reports from the Survey of ICT and Education in Africa will be updated in an iterative process over time based on additional research and feedback received through the Mozambique - 1 www.infodev.org SURVEY OF ICT AND EDUCATION IN AFRICA: Mozambique Country Report infoDev web site.
    [Show full text]
  • Governance Structure of Light for the World
    Light for the World OUR GOVERNANCE AND STRUCTURE members project countries country offices “The CEO, in collaboration with the Board, ensures that our organisation lives up to its vision and mission to achieve sustainable impact by implementing our strategy.” Prof. Tom Shakespeare International Trustee Chair UK Who we are Our structure Our association Light for the The Articles of Association and Light for the World is an World International is made up the partnership agreements international disability and of Austria, the Czech Republic, govern the collaboration and development organisation. Germany, Switzerland, the United relationships between Light for Our vision is an inclusive Kingdom and the United States the World International and its society for all where no one of America as core members and members. is left behind. We enable eye Belgium as associate member. health services and empower We have country offices in people with disabilities in Each core and associate member Burkina Faso, DR Congo, Ethiopia, some of the poorest regions of is a non-profit organisation under Kenya, Mozambique, South the world. the respective national law. Light Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda for the World International is as well as an EU liaison office in registered at the national register Brussels. All our offices are part of of associations in Austria. Light for the World International or its associate member. Our Governance Assembly of Members National Boards The Assembly of Members is the highest body of the The National Boards are the governing body of our organisation. It is the interface between the national national members. National Boards ensure national members and the international organisation.
    [Show full text]