Early Childhood Development

Fredrick Onyango has for many years believed that caring for children is the sole responsibility of mothers and that a father’s role is to provide for the family.

Growing up with his siblings, it was his mother who was close to them. “My mother took care of us. If we wanted anything from our father, we had to go through our mother,” recalls Onyango. Later, when Onyango got married, his focus was to go out and look for money to fend for his family while his two wives looked after their children.

Leaving his house early in the morning and returning late at night, many times long after children had slept, was Onyango’s daily routine. But, while attending an early childhood development empowerment program dubbed ‘ A Strengthened Partnership for Nurturing Care’ in 2018, Onyango got the shock of his life.

The program targeted pregnant mothers and children below five years, sponsored by the Conrad Hilton Foundation and spearheaded by ChildFund Kenya and the County Government of Siaya.

Onyango learned that he missed out during his childhood- his father being absent in their early lives. “Shockingly, I realized that even my children were also missing out on the same benefits since I was not involved in their care,” he explains. Stung by the bitter revelation, Onyango vowed to get involved in the care of his children.

Regina Mwasambo, Project Coordinator, ChildFund Kenya says the program was meant to empower men because a baseline survey they carried out in Siaya County revealed that most caregivers were women at 96 percent and men at 4 percent. In 2017, the UNICEF’s Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey program, the largest collection of comparable data mapping parental behavior in the world, showed that more than half, or 55 percent of children aged between three and four in 74 countries (approximately 40 million) have fathers who do not play or engage in early learning activities with them.

Various studies show that fathers play a crucial role in the development of children.

“When fathers nurture their young ones in their earliest years of life – by providing love and protection, playing with them, and supporting their nutrition – their children will learn better, have less behavioral issues, and become healthier, happier human beings,” says UNICEF.

Onyango and other 2,900 caregivers meet twice a month in various groups where they learn five components; good health, adequate nutrition, responsive caregiving, opportunities for early learning and security and safety, supposed to help children grow up holistically.