Introduction
ECT is a non-profit organization registered in Zimbabwe under the Companies & Association Trustee Act (Chapter 24:04). Its main area of operation is child protection, specifically focusing on orphan and vulnerable children (OVC). Major organizational activities for the last quarter vary from child sponsorship, advocacy engagements, and food hamper donation distributions for poverty alleviation. Hereunder is an ECT last quarter report ending March 2022.
Stakeholder Engagement
For this reporting period, Esteemed Children Trust has successfully been involved in meetings, conferences and workshops, for advocacy through stakeholder engagement within the sector of child protection. Some of these meetings were engaged virtually and others physically. Amongst key and most notable meetings, ECT participated in the Child Rights Coalition Annual Conference, which was held lately this year from the 2nd to the 3rd of March in Harare at Rainbow Towers Hotel, and the Sensitization Meeting on Child Justice Bill held on the 4th of April at Ambassador Hotel in Harare. All of these meetings were key in advocacy and engagements, both internally amongst coalition members and with government official and departments, especially, Civil Registry department, Victim Friendly Unit, Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education and Department of Social Welfare and Child Protection.
Children Activities
Due to early school opening, there has not been much of children’s activities during this last quarter other than partaking in the food hamper distribution activities. Besides, ECT does not have the facilities yet to shelter the children in a children’s home. However, the children are being nourished from their homes. To that end, interfaces with children and or general gatherings were absolutely impossible, given that available time will be weekends, of which some would have spared such for religious engagements.
Poverty and hunger alleviation
As a measure to respond to a growing poverty and hunger, the organization extended food hamper groceries sought from different donors, who coalesced together to make an impactful contribution towards poverty alleviation. For this last quarter, the organization has had a late donation, which was done on the 12th of March 2022, gracing the children with food hampers and goodies from well-wishers. The donations were received from our partners such as ROPKA Support Network Zimbabwe and other individuals who donated to the children.
Child Sponsorship
Child sponsorship continued to take shape during the last quarter. The organization is so glad that other sponsors joined to sponsor individual children with whatever needs they may require, be it school fees, monthly food among other things. Some sponsors are even going a step further to mentor the families. Our prayer is to lure more sponsors towards child sponsorship. For this last quarter ECT Board has taken the initiative upon themselves to sponsor individual children, and the organization is so glad for such an initiative by the Board.
Sustainable Projects
It is fortunate enough that ECT will be soon venturing in sustainable project of piggery. The last communication done with Pastor Alexander pertained to the construction of a pigsty measuring 15m x 7m, of which molding of 6000 bricks for such is ongoing, the process has been delayed by the rainy season. However, preparations for commencement are underway, the molding will be completed in few weeks from now, giving way to the construction of the structure.
Highlights of challenges
There are quite a number of challenges bedeviling the organization varying from limited fiscal legroom, pertinent personnel and skill shortages and admin and operational challenges (including transport for food distribution). These challenges are still haunting the organization. Most importantly, the situation has been made worse due to incessant waves of the highly infectious COVID-19 virus coming one after another posing far reaching endemic and serious operational challenges.
Possible Solutions
The organization is hopeful that the forthcoming piggery sustainable project will be a lasting solution to most of these challenges as it will be an income generating project. The organization is also intending to utilize partnerships with likeminded organizations dealing in the same areas of interventions, in a bid to amass efforts for an insurable impact.
Recommendations
Given the current situation, the only way the organization may bail out itself is by venturing into sustainable projects and partnerships with like-minded organizations for concerted efforts.
Conclusions
ECT is very much grateful for the progress recorded this far pertaining to programming of this invaluable charity work over this first quarter of 2022 period ending March. It is our belief as ECT, given the current drive with which the organization is moving, that we are bounding for the achievement of the ultimate vision of the organization. As we are going into another lap treading this road throughout this 2022, we are anticipating greater prospects of transformation into another trajectory.