Page 42 - OSISA Annual Report 2015-2018

public domain, the Economic Justice Programme and the Communications Programme documented a conversation with Tsitsi Dambarengba, a Zimbabwe- based film-maker, on the outcomes of the book. The discussion centred around the status and future of development in the region, the role women have played, and the role of citizens in shaping national rights-based developmental trajectory.
The idea behind the documentary is to break the issues down in a way that people can identify with their lived realities. By bringing in the voices of creatives, we hope to draw attention to the publication and spark wider societal awareness.
The work of two of our grantees on agrarian reform and strengthening the rights of small-scale farmers is receiving wide recognition. The National Institute for Humanities and Social Sciences (NIHSS) announced post-doctoral fellowships in land and agrarian issues in honour of the late Professor Sam Moyo.
This is a great way to remember the contributions made by Prof. Moyo in the land rights movements and to support further the work that the Sam Moyo Institute for Agrarian Studies continues to do. The director of the Rural Women’s Assembly, Mercia Andrews, was nominated as one of the winners for the 2018 Ashoka Prize – themed Challenging Norms and Powering Economies. This award was in recognition of her work in mobilising rural women and creating a stronger voice for their land rights and economic autonomy.
Our support to African Monitor that seeks to facilitate citizens’ engagement in monitoring the realisation of the sustainable development goals (SDGs) in the region is using information and communication technology (ICT) platforms to collect and produce high-quality data that will provide information to citizens on the status, results and policy responses of implementing the SDGs. African Monitor is working with youth champions in seven countries who are experimenting with technology to collect real- time data on the current living conditions of marginalised groups concerning SDG goals. Some of the interviews are captured on video and made available through the African Monitor website, Facebook account, and shared on Twitter. The idea is to use this citizen-collected data
to produce interactive maps that will be shared online to give a snapshot of performance in implementation SDGs and direct feedback from communities. Armed with data, citizens will be in a stronger position, engage and influence policy change while advocating for improved service delivery at the local and national levels.
Education Programme
The Regional Education Programme presented four projects to the second board meeting covering Madagascar, Malawi and Zimbabwe. Factoring in the anticipated approvals of the Board and Chairperson for 2018 work, the programme’s overall projected core budget spend was 93% for the second quarter. The programme wished to present one key highlight of its work for the quarter as summarised below:
The Programme continued to see positive progress on the portfolio of work on early childhood development (ECD) for children with disabilities and special education needs (SEN) in Lesotho, Mozambique, Malawi, Swaziland, Zimbabwe and Zambia. Projects in the field catalysed robust early identification and intervention strategies for children with developmental delays or disabilities to minimise the impact that impairments may have on children’s development—this optimised inclusion in ECD centres, schools and generally in society.
The Education Programme was impressed with the progress made by grantees so far. The inclusive interventions offer children with disabilities vital spaces that ensure optimal development by providing opportunities for a child to child-focussed learning, play, participation, peer interaction and the development of friendships.
Reports from grantees indicate that changing attitudes towards children with disabilities is an ongoing challenge. An important part of this challenge was to provide the necessary support to parents, caregivers and community members, and state-level duty bearers who play a critical role in the lives of children with disabilities. Such support would include tracking developmental milestones and teaching independence, and caring for children. The information must be disseminated in different formats and in ways that take cognisance of parents and children’s
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OPEN SOCIETY INITIATIVE FOR SOUTHERN AFRICA – 2018 REPORT