UNICEF and Ecopetrol are the 2 main sponsors for the Huila project. The local networks are covering the costs of ICDP implementation. SD Britain contributed the amount required as input from ICDP. Recently, the Health Ministry agreed to increase the previously allocated budget for 2008 to include costs of: training of a group of psychologists as ICDP facilitators and trainers, salary for a coordinator in Huila and printing of extra materials.

The schedule:

• Hold training workshop for facilitators in Choco
• Go on field visit to Quibdo, Choco
• Hold workshops in Garzon and Neiva, Huila
• Go on field visit to Rio Negro and Iquira
• Discuss evaluation of the Huila project with Unicef
• Introduce new materials with regards to project monitoring
• Follow up on Boyaca and Medellin with trained teams
• Present ICDP to donors in Cali
• Hold AGM (ICDP Colombia)
• Work with the team of trainers and make plan of action 

Workshops with Leadership

I visited Garzon and Neiva with Oliverio, in the department of Huila, in order to work with the network leadership and the teams of supervisors from education, health and social services. We presented the ICDP project and its training format for 2008. We established a Plan of Action and fixed dates for all activities, as well as agendas for training with all the partners involved. During the two first weeks in June there will be 4 workshop for new teams of facilitators in Huila, which will be followed up by field visits and more workshops later on.

Sustainability of ICDP in Huila

The Education sector approved 3 hours weekly for ICDP implementation in schools, to run ICDP courses for parents.

The Health sector inserted ICDP in their programme called PAB and training will be given to a group of psychologists who are employed on permanent basis as ICDP facilitators.

Social Services (ICBF) included ICDP as part of its programme "Creciendo y aprendiendo".

Meeting in Bogota re-evaluation

We had a meeting with Unicef evaluation expert, Raquel Perzsek to discuss about ICDP evaluation procedures. I presented two options, in line with my discussions with Karsten Hundeide. Raquel chose the Bergen model and subsequently designed a document with TOR for the recruitment of a professional team to carry out the evaluation of the Huila project. They will be employed only at the end of the project so that the base line study will have to be carried out by others.

Evaluation will be based on:

• Pre and post questionnaires administered to caregivers
• Pre and post filming of a sample group of caregivers
• Focus groups with facilitators, promoters and caregivers

Workshop in Quibdo, Choco

The agenda was tailored to fit in with the needs of the trainee agents. Programme areas where they needed assistance:  Principles of Sensitization; how to work when there is no possibility of using DVDs or videos; revision of the content of the 12 meetings, monitoring procedures. There was a detailed revision of some of the 12 meetings. Revision of the programme was carried out in small groups where new people received clarifications from those already trained and experienced in the field.

New focus: During 2008 the project focus is going to be on strengthening the field work and monitoring the quality of the promoter's work with families. The monitoring of promoters will be carried out by facilitators, who in turn will be assisted and supported by a team of 3 professionals from Unicef, CINDE and ICBF. An external evaluator will be employed to carry out evaluations of the impact of ICDP in Choco.

Results from Choco project

Adriana Zapata, Unicef coordinator said that the needs in Choco are extreme; the results with ICDP are good and the families are very receptive to the programme. ICDP trained staff from ICBF and CINDE showed commitment and interest to continue, in spite of very difficult circumstances caused by renewed armed conflicts. ICDP has brought together local institutions and she said that inter-institutional cooperation represents a big step forward for Choco.

Fundraising in Cali

I got in touch with Marina Morales from Unicef in El Salvador who confirmed that ICDP in El Salvador is continuing to spread with local funds as national programme, but the Unicef funding allocated for ICDP visits has finished. Certain amount of funds are needed to finish the training of a local team as ICDP trainers. For that purpose I prepared a project proposal which we revised with Marzuki Andujar. Two power point presentations were also prepared about ICDP in Latin America and El Salvador for fundraising purposes.

The whole fundraising package was presented to one board member of "Cartones America" who often travels and works in El Salvador. In principle, he showed interest to fund ICDP but it still remains to be confirmed officially.

ICDP in Medellin 

I was unable to visit Medellin due to illness but I contacted ICDP facilitator Abel Antonio Salazar who has been spreading ICDP in Medellin for the last 4 years through an NGO called FAN. This work has been developing separately but in parallel with the work of the University Luis Amigo. FAN is currently applying ICDP with 120 families and plan to gradually cover 2000 families who live in the most vulnerable areas of the city, in communes 2, 3, 15 and 10. FAN has inserted ICDP as a permanent component of their integrated assistance program that also includes health, education and nutritional aspects. New team of facilitators will be trained in July.

Boyaca and Narino

The Ministry of Health in Boyaca is spreading ICDP throughout the department. They recently published the ICDP pack of materials and also made new DVDs.

In this area there is one ICDP Trainer, a doctor from the Health Ministry, who is our link informing us about ICDP developments. I held several conversations with this Health network team but was unable to visit as planned, due to illness.

The Health Institute is also the most active network spreading ICDP in another department, that of Narino. In Narino we are in process of forming new facilitators and a group of trainers. The workshop for facilitators will be held this summer by ICDP trainer Anisah Andrade whereas I will hold the Trainer level workshop later on this year.

Meeting with ICDP trainers

First there was general discussion and team building.

Then we worked on the content of training for different projects: Huila, Embera Chami, Choco, Narino, Boyaca.

We held an AGM and re-elected board members. We agreed about procedures with the new accountant.

Dates were set for regular fortnightly meetings of the team throughout the year, which will include calling me via skype.

ICDP with the Embera Chami

I discussed the strategy and content of training with Chayatun and Amata. The aim of the project is to sensitize the community (18 indigenous families who live near Cordoba in Guayaquil Bajo, finca Naranjitos) by promoting empathic relationships in order to reduce violent behaviour between parents and children, as well as among children themselves. The project started in April, with 5 visits so far by ICDP. The topics covered: conceptions about child rearing linked to experiences with their own parents, lessons learned from such experiences, significance of communication in general, 8 guidelines with emphasis on setting limits and conflict resolution.

General assistance to Embera Chami

The Embera Chami community was moved by the government to a piece of land in a new area, where they are lacking many of the basic services, so the ICDP trainers felt it was important to assist them in other ways, in addition to ICDP. With a small donation from GH Foundation they were able to make several trips to the town of Cordoba where they made inquiries at the mayor's office on behalf of the community about available services and how to bring them to the indigenous community.

As result of these efforts, the community members are now registered and are able to receive medical attention in Cordoba, 20 young persons from the community will be trained in agriculture by SENA (government training body) and a children's day centre (hogar comunitario) will be established in the community by ICBF (social services).

Report by Lailah Armstrong