For this third quarter, there were not many activities regarding stakeholder engagements, except for the Child Rights Coalition meeting held on the capital in the month of August 2023. The meeting was a review of coalition progress regarding systems of child protection in place, laws and policies of child protection and the commitment towards implementation. Part of it was a review of the second quarter SDGs capacity strengthening, ascertaining whether or not the program was of any substance towards enhancing child protection. Issues of child protection, especially topical drug abuse among children and youth and child sexual abuse were as well eminent, given the background that there were numerous reported issues of drug abuse among youth and children in the country. This comes after the wake of reported incidences of drug abuse in secondary schools around the country. Stakeholder engagements have far reaching effects to promoting child protection and child wellbeing. Thus, the organisation is so much committed towards advancing policy and advocacy engagements in a bid to amass efforts towards finding lasting solution for a peaceful co-existing environment for children.
The organisation have not had an elaborate time for children activities for the last quarter as there was no constant engagements through food distribution events.
Food donation distributions resumed for this third quarter. ROPKA, resumed their usual donations and the children began to benefit especially from nutritional enrichment and hunger alleviation. Despite massive budgetary cuts on ROPKA, the organisation is managing to give something to the children once every month. However, we are looking forward to other well-wishers either organisations, individuals and or the church for an extended continuous support.
Child sponsorship continues to take shape for Esteemed Children Trust programming. We are so grateful for additional sponsors especially, from ECT’s board members.
Esteemed Children Trust has indicated intentions to undertake piggery project. However, there has not been much progress regarding implementation of this project for the reason that the organisation is still finalizing on the acquisition of land outside Harare.
Two prominent challenges, sustainability challenges and transport challenges, especially for food distribution and visits.
The only possible way to bail the organization is to venture into a sustainable project, such as the piggery project, which we are looking forward to undertaking soon.
We recommend the organization to venture into sustainability projects and priorities that in order to evade imminent challenges it is facing at the moment.
ECT is very much grateful for the progress recorded this far pertaining to programming of this invaluable charity work over this period ending September 2023. It is our belief as ECT, given the current drive with which the organisation is moving, that we are bounding for the achievement of the ultimate vision of the organisation. As we have treaded the three quarters of 2023, we are anticipating greater prospects of transformation into the trajectory of the last quarter.