Salt House’s Post

The Effective Parenting consultative workshop organized by UNICEF and Addis Ababa University brought together key stakeholders to discuss strategies for promoting positive #earlychildhooddevelopment (ECD) in Ethiopia. A major takeaway was the need for shared responsibility and accountability across sectors in leading #ECD efforts. Parents play a vital role as role models, but support is needed from government ministries, academia, NGOs, and communities. Particular attention must be paid to vulnerable groups like IDPs and refugees, providing tailored support during crises. Technology presents both opportunities through online education resources and risks of exposing children to harmful content. A comprehensive legal/policy framework is required to create a safe digital environment. Empowering women through economic, social and political avenues while increasing their decision-making power is crucial, as is designing initiatives that engage fathers/husbands in childcare. Cultural practices like extended breastfeeding and complementary feeding should be maintained while messaging is customized for relevance across contexts. Effective parenting necessitates a #multifaceted, #collaborativeapproach considering diverse socioeconomic and cultural factors. By uniting efforts across sectors, we can provide an optimal nurturing environment for Ethiopia's children to thrive.

🌍 Today, 18 EU-level organisations issued a Joint Statement calling for Full Transparency in the Implementation of the European Care Strategy! 🌍 📢 Two years after the 2022 Council Recommendation on access to affordable high-quality long-term care and the broader European Care Strategy launch, EU Member States are expected to report on their long-term care strategies. 🔍 Our coalition urges the European Commission and Member States to ensure that all reports are delivered within the set deadlines and made publicly available online through national government and European Commission websites. 🔑 This is the first step towards guaranteeing the transparency and openness needed for the successful implementation of the European Care Strategy. It also enables engagement and oversight by civil society organisations and social partners at both the EU and national levels! 📄 To read the Joint Statement: https://lnkd.in/eU6P6WFF #EuropeanCareStrategy #LongTermCare #EU #CivilSociety #SocialPartners #PHServices #HomeCare #DomesticWork #SocialDialogue #CollectiveBargaining COFACE Families Europe AGE Platform Europe Autism-Europe aisbl Caritas Europa CECOP Eurocarers Eurodiaconia EAPN - European Anti Poverty Network EASPD - European Association of Service providers for Persons with Disabilities EFFE EFSI - European Federation for Services to Individuals European Federation of Public Service Unions (EPSU) EuroHealthNet Mental Health Europe Make Mothers Matter - MMM Platform for Undocumented Migrants (PICUM) UNI Europa European Federation of Food, Agriculture, and Tourism Trade Unions (EFFAT)

🛑 Today, about 18 EU-level organisations issued a Joint Statement calling for Full Transparency in the Implementation of the European Care Strategy!   2 years after the 2022 Council Recommendation on access to affordable high-quality long-term care and the broader European Care Strategy launch, EU Member States are to give national reports on long-term care strategies. Our coalition urges the European Commission and Member States to ensure that all of them are delivered within the deadlines set by the Recommendation, and made publicly available online through national government and European Commission websites. 💪This is the first step to guarantee the transparency and openness needed for the successful implementation of the European Care Strategy, and to enable engagement and oversight by civil society organisations and social partners at both the EU and national levels! To read the Joint Statement 👉https://lnkd.in/euMycvD2 #PHServices #HomeCare #DomesticWork #SocialDialogue #CollectiveBargaining #EUaffairs #EuropeanCommission #Socialinvestment #Socialinnovation #Care  COFACE Families Europe AGE Platform Europe Autism-Europe aisbl Caritas Europa CECOP Eurocarers Eurodiaconia EAPN - European Anti Poverty Network EASPD - European Association of Service providers for Persons with Disabilities EFFE European Federation of Public Service Unions (EPSU) EuroHealthNet Mental Health Europe Make Mothers Matter - MMM Platform for Undocumented Migrants (PICUM) UNI Europa European Federation of Food, Agriculture, and Tourism Trade Unions (EFFAT)

👨👩👧👦Last week in Luweero, central Uganda, the Luweero VAC Cluster, supported by the Prevention of Violence against Children and Young People (PVAC) program, and the Luweero AGPP Cluster, under the Adolescent Girls Power Program (AGPP) and other key district stakeholders met with officials from the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development (MGLSD). 👨👩👧👦The objective of the meeting was for the MGLSD to train and empower participants with knowledge and skills in parenting. MGLSD took CRVPF cluster partners and other attendees through documents they had developed alongside development partners, including the National Parenting Guidelines, the National Parenting Standards, the National Parenting Manual, and key family care practices. Through this exercise, the ministry aimed to improve participants' knowledge on the role of parenting in child protection and ending gender-based violence, increase their knowledge and skills in early childhood and parenting and develop an action plan for scaling down work in the district. 👨👩👧👦The CRVPF cluster partners will be able to train officials and other key individuals in their catchment areas with the new knowledge and skills they have acquired. This will reduce the likelihood of violence against children and young people in households and increase the dissemination of this critical information.   #crvpf #mglsd #parenting

The DAI-implemented Youth Powered Ecosystem to Advance Urban Adolescent Health (YPE4AH) project funded by USAID reached 27,267 adolescents with tailored life skills programs designed to enhance decision-making, challenge gender norms, and promote financial literacy, including those with disabilities. Furthermore, 25,012 adolescents accessed family planning services through Youth Hubs and Spoke facilities, marking a notable of its family planning targets for the first time. This success underscores the culmination of effective collaborative learning and adaptation strategies employed to ensure adolescents’ access to critical family planning and reproductive health services, ultimately empowering them to make informed choices and plan for healthier futures. In 2023, the state government acknowledged the remarkable achievements of the program, presenting DAI’s CEO Jim Boomgard with a plaque from Dr. Kadiri Obafemi Hamzat, Lagos State’s Deputy Governor’s Office. Read more here to learn about our 2023 impact in Nigeria and our focus for 2024: https://buff.ly/3Uw1XWe #YouthEmpowerment #HealthImpact

As we strive to build a better future for Nigeria, let's not forget the importance of investing in healthcare programmes & services for our young population. With 42% under 15 & 70% under 30, it's crucial we prioritize their well-being to unlock their full potential. Every child, including those with developmental delays & disabilities, deserves quality healthcare to thrive. Let's work together to make it a reality! #ForEveryChildQualityHealth #ForEveryChildQualityEducation #ForEveryChildQualityNutrition #ForEveryChildCleanAndSustainableEnvironment

I was honoured to be part of the Nairobi Disability Caucus forum to propose for Amendments in the Social Protection bill 2024. Social protection interventions are essential for promoting poverty reduction, inclusive growth and human capital development. This Bill seeks to give effect to the Bill of Rights by providing a comprehensive framework for social protection. Notably, this effort is aligned with the provisions of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with a special focus on Target 1.3, which aims to “Implement Nationally appropriate Social Protection systems and measures for all, including floors, and by 2030 achieve substantial coverage of the poor and the vulnerable”. This Bill also seeks to address the existing gaps in the social protection sector, provide a framework for a harmonised approach in the social protection Sector in the country and ensure efficient and effective delivery of social protection interventions. #socialprotection #stammering #disabilityinclusion #disabilitysupport #Billofrights #sdgs #stammeringcommunity #nairobikenya #leavenoonebehind #development #disabilityrights

Last week I visited Mlalo village, Lunga Lunga sub county where we had a community sensitization on child protection and an awareness on children with disabilities. This is an arid area in Kwale near the Kenya-Tanzania border. I had a unique opportunity of understanding the challenges experienced by caregivers of children with intellectual disability in this village. Caregivers of children with disabilities already face significant challenges. When these individuals reside in arid border regions, their situation becomes even more complex and fraught with additional hardships. The combination of disability and residence in an arid border region creates a unique set of challenges: 📌Increased Vulnerability: Children with disabilities in this area are at a heightened risk of malnutrition, dehydration, and infectious diseases. The land is not suitable for agriculture hence crops don't do well. 📌Limited Access to Specialized Care: Specialized services for children with disabilities are often scarce or non-existent in border regions. 📌Displacement and Conflict: Border areas are prone to conflicts and displacement, which disrupts caregiving routines and access to support. #childprotection #disabilityawareness #caretakers #aridregions #borderlife #community #support #inclusion #accessibility

In PNG, the path of some 2 million adolescents to reaching their full potential has never been free of serious stumbling blocks. Making up 22% of the population, today’s adolescents are tomorrow’s adults who will soon enter the workforce. But numerous issues like drugs, alcohol, peer pressure, unsafe schools, family problems are among many reasons affecting their physical, mental health and educational attainment. The development & participation of adolescents in PNG is at the heart of UNICEF’s new Country Programme 2024-2028. With the support of #astrazeneca, UNICEF PNG has been able to engage adolescents-focused partners in social, behaviour and norm change #SBC interventions and empower young people with the information and skills to influence policy and demand accountability for their health and well-being

📚 “We trained 500 teachers to respond to violence and helped 28 schools develop and implement a school-based action plan to ensure students' safety.” 🇳🇦 The 2019 Namibia VACS showed high levels of school-related violence. As a result, the Namibian Ministries of Gender and Education partnered with Project HOPE to implement strategies towards reducing school-related violence. Read this 🆕 story about Project HOPE´s work to #EndViolenceAgainstChildren in Namibian schools👇 http://bit.ly/3vNsgyh #SafeToLearn #ViolenceIsPreventable