This year, SPOON has seen dramatic growth in the number of children entered and assessed in our app, Count Me In. Much of this growth has come from Zambia, where more children than ever before are benefiting from SPOON’s programs and partnerships despite the ongoing effects of the pandemic.
Supporting Families to Stay Together
At the end of 2020, SPOON worked with our Master Trainers and Catholic Medical Mission Board’s (CMMB’s) Zambia chapter to successfully complete online and in-person trainings for 23 service providers, including nutritionists, physical therapists, social workers, and others who work with vulnerable children.
These service providers represented both rehabilitation sites in the community, as well as those based in clinical settings. By expanding our work to clinical sites, SPOON is reaching significantly more children and supporting families who are at risk of separation (i.e., moving their child to an institution) to care for their children at home.
Local Ownership Leads to Success
In early 2021, CMMB Zambia and SPOON’s local Master Trainers began to integrate Count Me In into the systems of care for eight new sites in and around Lusaka, the capital of Zambia. The result was dramatic: over 400 new children were entered and assessed in the app, and this number continues to rise. This success is due in large part to CMMB Zambia’s careful coordination of multiple sites, and the Master Trainers’ guidance on Count Me In during site visits.
Given the strong leadership on the ground in Zambia, SPOON’s goal is to support CMMB Zambia to take on local ownership of the project as it continues into further phases.
We aim to replicate this success with other partners, so many more vulnerable children will have a chance to grow and thrive.
