…FOR THE FIRST 1,000 DAYS - Home page | UNICEF · 1 1 , A #01 2017 (FOR ALL THE CHILDREN) HOUN...

1 Issue # 1, August, 2017

#012017

WWW.UNICEF.ORG/BELIZE(FOR ALL THE CHILDREN)

HOUN SUN IRAHÜÑÜ

…FOR THE FIRST 1,000 DAYSThe first 1,000 days in a child’s life are

critical for overall health and development. Nurturing interactions between parents, caregivers and the child stimulate healthy brain development and growth, paving the way for better results in schooling and overall increased productivity in life. Because of the importance of care in child development for lifelong outcomes, UNICEF Belize and the Ministries of Education, Health and Human Development, Poverty Alleviation & Social Transformation implemented a training series on Care for Child Development (CCD) designed to prepare a core group of professional trainers to help improve knowledge and skills for nurturing and responsive child care for families across Belize.

Belize was the first country to pilot two new sessions in the CCD training - one focused on Zika to enhance community awareness and response, and the other on violence prevention. From April 24 to May 5, representatives from the three Government Ministries were trained by UNICEF and the Ministries to improve their skills in counselling parents and caregivers in child development and responsive care.

To learn more, click here: https://www.unicef.org/earlymoments/ Learn more about Care for Child Development:

http://bit.ly/2qALgt8

“Studies published in the 2016 Lancet Series on Early Childhood Development establish clearly that early experiences play a profound role in shaping brain development in every child. Positive early experiences yield positive outcomes; negative experiences often lead to negative outcomes. Our work is to ensure that every child is assured positive cognitive,

In Belize, great progress has been made in the area of Early Childhood Development (ECD). The 2011 data shows that 32 per cent of children between 36 and 59 months of age attended an Early Childhood Education (ECE) programme, and this proportion grew to 55 percent by 2015. However, access to ECE is not equal everywhere. Only one in five of the poorest children attend ECE, with only 36 per cent of children in the Cayo District involved in some form of early childhood education. In addition, of great concern is the issue of violence affecting children. Data from the latest Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS5) show that 59% of children aged 3-4years and 42% aged 1-2 years in Belize experience the most violent conditions.

social and emotional long term development. Care for Child Development is a proven approach to achieving better outcomes in our youngest children and ultimately in productivity and development in the country,” says Dr. Susan Kasedde, Representative for UNICEF Belize.


ACTION IN BELIZE

“Houn sun irahüñü” meaning “For all the children” … The words from the indigenous language of Garifuna meaning “for all the children” is the name chosen for our newsletter. It embodies the mission of our organization…

advocating for the rights of every child, ensuring that every child has a fair chance to a high quality of life. The Garifuna language was recognized on May 18, 2001 by UNESCO as “Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangibles Heritage

of Humanity”. The purpose of the newsletter is to highlight the work of UNICEF Belize implemented alongside our collaboration and partnership with government, civil society and other national partners.

UNICEF’s commitment to Belize dates back to 1954. Environmental health, vector control, school feeding and the provision of primary school textbooks

and supplies were initially a part of our work in the country. The UNICEF office was established in 1981, the same year that Belize gained its independence.

Presently, UNICEF Belize focuses on young child survival, education and development, disparity reduction through policy investment and participatory governance, and

the protection of children against violence. In partnership with the Government of Belize, UNICEF promotes legislative and policy reforms and provides support to a variety of government and civil society organizations, to turn innovative ideas

into reality. In shaping a Belize fit for children and women, UNICEF has supported education efforts, early childhood development, legal and institutional reform, and stronger systems for child justice, data management, monitoring and evaluation.

UNICEF provides support to the Government of Belize in the implementation of the United Nations Multi-Country Sustainable Development Framework (UNMSDF) that harmonizes with the signed Programme Country Document 2017-2012 , the country’s

Growth and Sustainable Development Strategy (GSDS) and the new National Result Framework for Children and Adolescents.

The centrality of UNICEF’s work for children in deeply rooted in the Convention on the Rights of the Child, accompanied by a commitment to see Belize successfully achieve the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

ABOUT OUR NEWSLETTER

WWW.UNICEF.ORG/BELIZE



UNICEF BELIZE WELCOMES A NEW REPRESENTATIVE

“When I was told I was coming to Belize to join UNICEF I felt incredibly excited! I see enormous opportunities for this country and I feel incredibly privileged to be here to play a part in efforts to build stronger communities, systems and partnerships that help nurture, protect and realize the potential of all children.”

The words of new UNICEF Representative to Belize Dr. Susan Kasedde, who presented her Letter of Credentials to Hon. Wilfred Elrington Minister of Foreign Affairs and was hosted in a courtesy call with the Rt. Hon. Prime Minister of Belize Dean Barrow in late February.

Prior to arriving in Belize, Dr. Kasedde previous appointments included serving as a UNICEF Senior Specialist and Global Team Leader for HIV and Adolescents in New York and the UNAIDS Regional Adviser for Eastern & Southern Africa and Head of Office for UNAIDS in Namibia. She has worked for over 18 years on HIV Prevention and Sexual and Reproductive Health, spending much of that time focusing particularly on adolescents. Dr. Kasedde expressed her firm belief that her personal experience has influenced her commitment to the work she does. “At the age of 5, I was a refugee. My family was

forced to flee our home, leaving all we loved and the little we owned, just for a chance to survive. So I truly understand the challenges faced by the poorest and most vulnerable children and their families,” she said.

She expressed that while people may differ, their aspirations as people are the same: safety, health, peace, and a fair chance to grow and live with our families in dignity. “Growing up, I witnessed the complete collapse of infrastructure and services as my country was ravaged by a 30-year-long civil war. My early childhood experience of loss of state, protection and community gave

me a profound and early appreciation for the crucial role of government, the enormous significance of accountability and ethics in governance, and the importance of active participation of communities in building nations.”

A national of Uganda, she holds a Doctor of Public Health degree in Epidemiology and Population Health from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, a Master’s degree in Public Health from Boston University and Bachelor’s degrees in Biomedical Science and French from the University of Pennsylvania.

BELIZE WELCOMES DR. SUSAN KASEDDE


“We serve a total population of over 75,000, broadly dispersed, culturally diverse but heavily transient and largely Central American immigrants due to the citrus and banana industries,” said the Chief of Staff Dr. Aimee Hunter of the Southern Regional Hospital, as she welcomed representatives from UNICEF Belize and Spain, the Ministry of Health (its Government of Belize partner), and the PROBITAS Foundation during a mission visit to Southern Belize. “It is at times difficult to track them because they move around depending on where work is and at times are only in the country seasonally, again for work. As well, identifying and tracking these patients can be challenging as they sometimes don’t give their full names, seldom have identification cards and visit multiple health centres depending on proximity. The BHIS does help though,” she smiles as she speaks and chuckles at the end, referring to the electronic database system called the Belize Health Information System (BHIS) used nationally by medical professionals to track patients. The BHIS records the medical interventions offered with each patient receiving a unique BHIS client number. The system allows that no matter where in the entire country the clients seek medical attention the medical record can be tracked.

OVERCOMING OBSTACLES TO CAREWWW.UNICEF.ORG/BELIZE

Improved medical laboratories mean invaluable support for health services and

in the long term, overall healthier children, mothers, families, communities and country. That is precisely the goal of the project Strengthening the Capacities of the Medical Laboratories of the Public Health System in Belize coordinated with UNICEF Belize, UNICEF Spain, PROBITAS Foundation and the Ministry of Health, Belize.

While on its surface the project may seem largely infrastructural as it seeks to expand services with the provision of equipment, the real good is rooted in the benefit for the more than 75,000 Belizeans who live in the southern, most far-reaching, and economically impoverished area of the country. Due to Southern Belize’s natural environment, the people are susceptible to vector borne and infectious diseases from mosquitos and other

pathogens. UNICEF Belize Representative and epidemiologist Dr. Susan Kasedde, said, “Early detection of health risks and diagnosis through the strengthening of medical surveillance efforts not only reduces financial health costs but also eliminates potentially devastating impacts of diseases like dengue, chikungunya and malaria.”

While this addresses the integrity of the patient’s medical history, the challenge the project seeks to combat is that of the scanty dispersion of facilities available to

serve the people’s health needs. With more than 50 communities in Toledo (Belize’s southernmost district) alone and a population of 46,000, not every community has a health centre, polyclinic or hospital. It is typical for people to travel long distances for medical attention, often on substandard dusty roads in the dry season that quickly become inaccessible during the rainy season, making it difficult to arrive at surrounding medical facilities. As the project directly remodels a new physical space for the laboratory in the Southern Regional Hospital, the critical intervention comes with new equipment for a laboratory in San Antonio Polyclinic and the installation of a laboratory for a health centre in Santa Theresa, one of the isolated Maya communities. In Santa Theresa, the project will improve what now serves as a storage facility, bringing its infrastructure up to the necessary requirements to house a medical lab and equipment, and critically, providing supporting diagnostic services where none existed before.

There we encountered Dr. Raheel Jamaal Elijio, a dedicated Belizean physician. Dr. Elijio received his medical training in Cuba, which included a year of study in traditional healing. This training allowed him to fully understand the value of traditional medicine and healing to these communities. He welcomed us into an office almost too small to house his desk and computer, let alone an examination table. Despite the small

space and mediocre facilities, Dr Elijio was exuberant as he showed us around the facility and spoke about the community and his patients. “Not many doctors want to come to these communities,” he said. “I like it. I learn so much and I am most satisfied to know that I am giving service to my people most in need. I believe every doctor in Belize should spend a year in these communities. It is truly a laboratory for learning.” For UNICEF, an organization with a mandate #foreverychild, we were encouraged by our encounter with Dr. Elijio. The mission of the PROBITAS Foundation, the financial partner in the equation, with a Latin name that means “honesty”, would easily find home in Belize and in the project working to improve medical laboratories in the area. Improved medical laboratories mean invaluable support for health services and in the long term, overall healthier children, mothers, families, communities and country. The mission visit occurred during March 27 – 31st. Click here to learn more about the project - Strengthening the Capacities of the Medical Laboratories of the Public Health System in Belize:

Click here to learn more about the project- Strengthening the Capacities of the Medical

Laboratories of the Public Health System in Belize: https://www.youtube.com/

watch?v=K0jA7f_EYUE&t=1s



CHILDREN SPEAK OUT:CAYDEN’S STORY TO #ENDVIOLENCE…

COLLABORATION ACROSS SECTORS… THE PATHWAY TO SUCCESS FOR CHILDREN FROM CONCEPTION TO…

I FIGHT BUT THAT’S NOT ALL THERE IS TO IT…

Cayden’s story accounted to us by Stephanie Jimenez - Social Worker of the Metamorphosis Project

“Oh it’s boys being boys; they fight.” In my line of work as a mentor for the Metamorphosis project, I see, hear and many times put an end to fights. I often wonder, and have sometimes asked others, “Why do boys fight?” Many times, the boys themselves would say “they were teased,” or “they hit me first.” Isn’t there a piece of the puzzle missing? I never felt those answers were all there was to it.

I began to build a relationship with one child who I’ll refer to here as Cayden. Initially, I couldn’t understand why Cayden resorted to fights, but slowly I am understanding his motivations little by little as I get to know him. The Metamorphosis Project allows me to spend quality time with Cayden, one of the first kids recruited into the project

in 2016. Through Metamorphosis, I have had the resources to take him on retreats; watch him play sports a few times during the month; spend time with his mom at parenting seminars; and check in on him at the life skills sessions, all interventions afforded to a child registered under the Metamorphosis Project, funded by UNICEF through RESTORE Belize. The Metamorphosis Project is intended to build resiliency in young boys under the age of 15 who are vulnerable to gang recruitment and dropping out of school indicated by undesirable behaviours presented at school and home.

Cayden wants what all children want. He wants to be wanted, given attention, listened to, and supported. During lunch, I would often

see what a great young person Cayden can be. He looks out for his siblings constantly like a protective father. There are moments when he understands the impact of his violent actions and shows remorse, and there are those moments when no one can seem to reach through to him. Still, something in his eyes says, “Don’t give up on me”.

There is more work to be done with Cayden and children like him in our goal to uncover the root causes for his fights. Nonetheless, I am sure of one thing, that I am grateful that UNICEF sees it fit to support programs like the Metamorphosis in schools today. Through this program and as his social worker, I am willing to fight for Cayden so he no longer has to fight.

250 million children across the globe are still at risk for not reaching their full potential as a result of poverty, malnutrition and other social and environmental inequities, says the UNICEF commissioned and 2016 launched research the Lancet Series: Advancing Early Childhood Development from Science to Scale. That number is alarmingly high enough to be considered a global crisis, but yet the outcry appears to be muffled. Even as UNICEF and 45% of countries worldwide have realized that profound positive impact necessitates a broad collaboration across government public and private sectors, these children trapped in the vicious cycle of deprivation continue to face the grim reality that their long-term earning potential will be curtailed by 30% simply because they were denied a fair start.

“Breaking the cycle of inequities and poverty lies in deliberate and strategic across sectors support for early childhood development. The purposeful alignment of political will and social need is critical,” said Early Childhood


While in Belize, we have seen the growth of the number of children enrolled in formal early childhood education move from 33% in 2010 to 55% in 2015, it remains an inescapable reality that the work is not yet done and focus must be on those 1,000 first days, starting from day one of conception to the end of the second year of life. It is with that in mind that UNICEF Belize alongside its government partners in the Ministries of Education, Health and Human Development, and Social Transformation and Poverty Alleviation that represent a government sub-caucus for Early Childhood Development gathered with pre-school teachers, roving caregivers, non-government organizations and managers of early childhood institutions for a two-day conference to talk strategy towards ensuring that every Belizean child has a fair start.UNICEF Belize’s Program Officer for Early Childhood Development and Education Denise Robateau in delivering her conference remarks stated that the realization of the Early Childhood Development Strategic Plan is a milestone achieved and sets the stage for the work in the days to come. “Investing in children and in youths is fundamental for achieving all the factors that comprise sustainable development therefore, improving early childhood development through enhanced care and nutrition is critical and the implementation of the ECD strategic plan is supported through inter-sectoral collaboration in planning, skills development and service delivery. This coordination across the sectors also supports the harmonization of actions related to poverty alleviation and violence prevention,” she said.

The Early Childhood Development Conference wrapped up its second day with a review of the strategic plan with special consideration for each district to critically determine how the plan will be brought to life in their area ensuring that indeed ECD becomes everyone’s business and that the approach continues alongside the cross sectoral agenda. Click here to learn more about early childhood development: http://uni.cf/earlymoments


Development Conference keynote speaker Dr. Zoyah Kinkead Clarke of the University of West Indies, Jamaica.



FROM THE PERSPECTIVE…A personal and professional commitment to Caring…. A trainee puts her recent Care for Child Development training into perspective…

“I never really considered that indeed a baby younger than eight weeks is learning. So, it was a true aha moment to witness during the training a baby respond with a smile at the mother’s interaction”

Sanchez recently started working as the Office Assistant with World Paediatric

Project (WPP) in Belize. WPP started its operation in Belize in 2002 as a collaboration between the Belize Government’s Ministry of Health, and an umbrella consortium effort called Project Belize. The organization’s work began with and still encompasses annual international visiting paediatric specialty surgery teams in the areas of urology, plastic, orthopaedic, and general surgery to care for critically ill Belizean children.

The early childhood and care for child development training has better equipped Sanchez to support the WPP’s work and allows her to offer guidance for parents who visit the organization. Such guidance is crucial given the critical nature of the first 1,000 days for a child’s brain development, which has a lasting impact on the child’s quality of life. In order to explain her understanding of these vital first 1,000 days, Sanchez described the difference she observed in the parenting style of a mother and a grandmother who had visited her office.

-Teresita Sanchez

A participant in the recent UNICEF supported and government-organized Care for Child Development (CDC) training sessions.

She said, “Had it not been for my training, I would not have taken any note of the grandmother’s scolding of the young two year old child.”

She reported that the mother was a little more relaxed and allowed the child to play and explore while the grandmother was very firm, scolding her grandchild for touching the toys in the office. Sanchez says that she smiled gently and said to the grandmother, “It is ok. That is the reason for the toys in the office. Children need to play and explore. It is how they learn and we want the children who come for help at the office to feel free to move around, play and explore.”

The encounter with the grandmother reminded Sanchez of her own experience as a young first time mother. Sanchez is the mother of a six-year-old son, but explains that prior to now, in her experience as a young mother, she saw the child’s fascination with the pots and pans around the house as noise. While she never got mad about the noise, she did not realize that interaction was a learning

experience for her child. WPP also offers medical help for children with disabilities and Teresita appreciates the challenges caregivers face; the need for support to the caregiver as well as being able to provide medical care for the children. “I love what I do and now I feel I am able to be an even better support for the organization and the people we serve,” Sanchez said. “It is a powerful thing, a heart-warming thing to know you helped someone; to know you have helped a child”

Teresita Sanchez’s account is a testimony to the success of the multi-sectoral approach to the early childhood work which UNICEF engages alongside national partners. Our goal is to reinforce the importance of a child’s first 100 days message with parents, teachers, social and community workers.

Learn more about early childhood development:

http://uni.cf/earlymoments Learn more about Care for Child Development:

http://bit.ly/2qALgt8


ON THE HORIZON…WWW.UNICEF.ORG/BELIZE

MAKING DATA WORK #FOREVERYCHILD…

UNICEF combines its experience and well-collected evidence and analysis to

create programmes, campaigns and initiatives wherever they are needed most; grounding the work and supporting the advocacy for the rights of children with empirical data, rigorous research and thoughtful analysis.

Understanding the invaluable support that empirical data offers public advocacy, UNICEF Belize alongside its government partners launched the results of the fifth Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS5) on 22nd June. The public presentation of the newest data was positioned in relation to the Sustainable Development Goals, which

Belize as a UN member state agreed to, also demonstrating its usefulness to guide the implementation of the United Nations Multi-Country Sustainable Development Framework (UNMSDF) for English and Dutch speaking countries in the Caribbean as well as the national framework - the Growth and Sustainable Development Strategy (GSDS).

The fifth round of the MICS, referred to as MICS5 is seen as an important tool for measuring progress towards reaching key national and international development targets and was carried out in 2015-2016 by Statistical Institute of Belize in collaboration with the National Committee for Families and Children (NCFC), a broader MICS Steering and Technical Committee and UNICEF. Since the last MICS in 2011, several initiatives were implemented to improve the situation of women and children. This new Survey will provide a measure of how effective these programs have been and the development progress made. As the country works towards meeting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), this round of the MICS will provide baseline information against which all future development progress can be measured.


ON THE PATH TO EQUALITY…WWW.UNICEF.ORG/BELIZE

UNICEF BELIZE &THE GOVERNMENT REPORTS ON THE 2030 AGENDA FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Belize is the first country in the English-speaking Caribbean to

voluntarily report on progress towards meeting Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development. On July 19, 2017, Belize Chief Executive Officer in the Ministry of Economic Development Mrs Yvonne Hyde represented the country at the High Level Forum on Sustainable Development.

For 15 years, the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were a guiding force on many issues affecting the lives of children, young people and their families. During this time, tremendous progress was made in reducing preventable child deaths, getting more boys and girls into schools, reducing extreme poverty and ensuring more people have access to safe water and nutritious food. However, progress was uneven and many of the most pressing issues for the world were not adequately covered in the MDGs. With the passage of the new Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in September of 2015, world leaders have set a transformational course for the future of human development. Millions of people were involved in crafting this new sustainable development agenda, including: governments, civil society, the private sector, academia, the UN system, and concerned individuals. These stakeholders and others will now need to be involved in implementing this agenda so that it delivers for all children globally.

Bearing in mind that the success of Agenda 2030 requires proactive deliberate planning, programming and monitoring, Belize was the only country in the Caribbean to participate in the Voluntary National Reporting (VNR)

exercise, for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). At the High Level meeting on the SDGs in New York, the country reported on the Sustainable Development Goal 1: No Poverty; Goal 2: Zero Hunger, Goal 3: Good Health and Wellbeing; Goal 14: Life under Water. UNICEF Belize role was to ensure that the development progress report was presented with a focus on women and children.

UNICEF Belize was instrumental in the development of the reports highlighting the country’s development progress as it relates to the above stated Agenda 2030 goals with the country charting its record with specific consideration on the impacts and benefits to women and children. The overarching goal of the SDGs, is to coordinate efforts around ending poverty and hunger, combating inequality and disease, and building a just and stable world. There are 17 goals in all, and all 193 nations represented at the U. N. agreed to them.

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The overarching goal of the SDGs, is to coordinate efforts around ending poverty and hunger, combating inequality and disease, and building a just and stable world. There are 17 goals in all, and all 193 nations represented at the U. N. agreed to them. Learn more about UNICEF and the SDGs here: https://www.unicef.org/agenda2030/

“It is an imperative that while we recognize the achievements nationally we continue to reflect and act on the work still necessary. Our work can only be effective if we have strong data collection and analysis. For this reason, UNICEF continues to stand in strong partnership with the government through the Statistical Institute of Belize to collect data via mechanisms like the Multiple Indicator Survey and other survey instruments.”-Paulette Wade

UNICEF’s Monitoring & Evaluation Officer

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