ELMA Foundation, Echidna Giving offer training on parenting interventions

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Thirty-seven participants, including the Queen of Iteso, Her Royal Majesty Juliet Among Emolot, have successfully completed a specialised training in the science of designing evidence-based parenting interventions.

The three-month course, delivered through the Makerere University Child Health and Development Centre, has strengthened the capacity of practitioners, civil society actors, and policymakers working in parenting, family strengthening, and early childhood development, among others.

Emolot said her motivation for joining the training was to acquire parenting skills she can take back to her community. “There are beautiful, well-furnished homes where horrible things happen. Parents are killing their children, and couples are killing each other.

She pledged to roll out the intervention through Teso’s clan-based leadership structure, from the lower levels to the national level.

The Queen of Iteso, Juliet Among Emolot, interacting with Dr Godfrey Siu, a senior lecturer and the program lead Child Health and Development Centre, Makerere University, after the first session of the training at Makerere University. (Photo by Violet Nabatanzi)

The training, supported by the ELMA Foundation and Echidna Giving, covered comprehensive modules designed to improve participants’ skills in evidence generation, program design, and evaluation.

“This course focused on designing, developing, and evaluating parenting interventions with the goal of equipping stakeholders with practical skills to implement interventions that are informed by evidence,” said Dr Godfrey Siu, a senior lecturer and the program lead.

This is the second cohort of the program. The first, which ended in January, enrolled 40 participants, with 32 completing the course.

Gloria Nabunnya, founder of Together Against Childhood Sexual Violence Uganda, said they learnt about family, society, and the importance of the family.

“We learnt that the family is the root of socialisation, so more focus has to be placed on the family if we are to build a great nation. If we are to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), we must prioritise the family,” she said.

“We also went deeper in the course, looking at the laws and policies related to family. We examined the SDGs that align with parenting,” she added.

Joyce Nankabirwa, Director of Joy Junior School, said, “I attended the course because I realised there was a gap in parenting between mothers and teachers. Parents often leave the role of parenting to teachers, while teachers expect parents to do their part. I felt I needed to attend this course to gain skills to help bring parents and teachers together so we can raise children collectively.”

Racheal Nandelenga, from Sironko District Local Government, commended CHDC for giving them the opportunity to assess their contributions at work and discover new trends in evidence-based interventions in service delivery.

“When I came here, my goal was to become a better parent, and I believe I am becoming one. I now understand how to relate to my children and how important it is to listen to them when they express their thoughts,’’ she said.