Save the Children Kenya, UNICEF & World Food Programme have joined forces to educate mothers from Kajiado regarding a range of topics relating to children.
The topics, which include breastfeeding, nutrition and positive parenting, are packaged in voice messages and short Message Service.
Nancy Sironga, Save The Children International Programme officer, stated that while the Universal Child Benefit Programme’s main focus was cash transfer to children under three, they have incorporated other components to maximize value for beneficiaries.
“The SMS and Voice notes are a value addition component to the Universal Child Benefit Programme. Though the programme initially focused on cash transfer, we incorporated other components for maximum benefits,” said Sironga.
The phone will ring, and the voice message will play for approximately 58 seconds. The first message focused on nutrition and child safety. The messages can be understood in Swahili or Mbeere languages.
Sironga stated that mothers often miss out on mother to mother support groups due to various reasons. These groups are used to relay important parenting information and hence the need to send SMS and voice messages.
“The messages are able to reach each individual UCB beneficiary whenever and wherever they are making them very convenient,” added Sironga. After all partners have agreed on the message to be relayed, the messages are sent to mothers every month.
Faith Naserian, a beneficiary from the UCB programme, said that she has learned a lot about raising children through the SMS.
“I have two children under five years and before I got the messages, I did not know about exclusive breastfeeding. Since I learnt about it, I have practiced it with my second child and there is a big difference between him and the first born who was not exclusively breastfed in terms of immunity,” said Naserian.
Another beneficiary, Eunice Naserian said that she is glad the SMS service has been put in place as she is able to get information regarding motherhood even when she doesn’t attend the mother to mother support groups.
“Due to the ongoing drought, I have to zero graze the animals at the Boma unlike before so I don’t have time to attend the mother to mother support groups. I am glad I can still learn through SMS and voice messages,” said Naserian.
UCB programme which was being piloted by United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) in collaboration with Save the Children organisation, World Food Programme and the Kenyan government is set to expire in December 2022.
Since December 2021, approximately 8,265 children from Kajiado Kisumu and Embu Counties received Sh 800 per child per calendar month.
Kajiado County has 2,292 children who were part of 2,103 households that have received the program.
By Diana Meneto
Source: kenyanews
