Nyamira: Officers and stakeholders in Nyamira implementing reform programmes have been challenged to sustain achievements attained courtesy of support by the Changing the Way We Care (CTWWC) programme. An Assistant County Commissioner (ACC) in Nyamira County, Ms. Ann Mwaniki, emphasized the sustainability challenges faced by most donor-funded programmes once the donor’s timeframe expires, leaving little to celebrate thereafter.
According to Kenya News Agency, Ms. Mwaniki advised officers deployed in departments implementing donor-funded projects to actively seek partners for collaboration to ensure the sustained success of care reforms aimed at nurturing thriving families in the community. She highlighted the success of the CTWWC project, which has reintegrated several children from Children Charitable Institutions (CCIs) back to home environments and financially strengthened households supporting vulnerable children, thereby contributing to the future economic growth of the country.
Ms. Mwaniki also noted
that mutual collaboration with government and other partners made the CTWWC programme a success in Nyamira County. This collaboration led to the formulation and launch of the Nyamira County Child Policy and Disability Act 2023, which are crucial for enabling the county government to allocate budgets for care reform programmes to enhance the lives of vulnerable groups.
CTWWC Project Director Timon Mainga affirmed that close collaboration between state and non-state actors enabled Nyamira County to achieve significant care reforms. He urged the sourcing of more partners to co-fund these reforms, ensuring that vulnerable families are strengthened to achieve self-sustainability. Mainga also pointed out challenges such as delays in establishing the Persons with Disability (PWD) board, which is scheduled for 2024, hindering opportunities for capacity building in resource mobilisation, governance, and disability inclusion.
The County Executive Committee Member for Gender Sports Youth and Social Services, Dr. Grace
Nyamongo, expressed appreciation for the support and collaboration by CTWWC. She highlighted that this synergy allowed Nyamira County to achieve remarkable childcare reforms and disability inclusion, which could serve as a model for other counties. Dr. Nyamongo assured that efforts would be made to source more partners to support the implementation and sustainability of the child policy and disability ACT, ensuring that the benefits of devolution are enjoyed by the people.
CTWWC was initiated in 2018 in Nyamira and four other counties in Kenya, including Kisumu, Siaya, Kilifi, and Mombasa, to pilot childcare reforms at the county level and shape care reforms across the country.